


Suddenly There Was You

by bleachfanficfanatic



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-31 00:13:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8555173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleachfanficfanatic/pseuds/bleachfanficfanatic
Summary: Shuuhei Hisagi, captain of the 9th, has many obligations vying for his attention. But when Orihime Inoue visits Soul Society he finds himself increasingly distracted. As they get to know one another Orihime begins to wonder if five life times is too much to promise to one person and Shuuhei finds something he didn't realize he was looking for. [ShuuheiXOrihime]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Casey525](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Casey525).



Author’s Note: As requested by my friends Casey525 and crista2311 here is a Shuuhei / Orihime pairing fic to be enjoyed. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Suddenly There Was You  
By bleachfanficfanatic

Chapter 1

Hisagi Shuuhei grumbled as he poured over the seemingly endless mountains of paperwork littering his desk. Ever since he’d finally accepted the captaincy of the Ninth Division it seemed all he saw was white paper, black ink and red tape. 

The wars (winter, Quincy, Zanpakuto, really it had been one long string of death and suffering) had concluded some years ago and a semblance of peace had finally settled upon Soul Society. However, for Shuuhei, peace was a flighty thing. Sleep was not consistent for him as nightmares of all the hell he and his friends had gone through constantly stained his subconscious. He’d often find himself waking up in a panic, covered in sweat reaching for Kazeshini only to realize he was in his bed. 

His demonic zanpakuto spirit did little to alleviate the strain he found himself under. 

“Again, really? Could I have a weaker, more pathetic excuse for a master?!”

He and Hisagi never really got along. Truthfully the captain was surprised at being able to wield him at all, much less effectively. He’d hoped with further training to remedy that but with captain duties, Shinigami Male Association meetings, editing the Seireitei News Magazine and sorting through new recruits he’d barely had time to be involved in their training much less his own.

“I really need to appoint a lieutenant,” he murmured to himself as he continued scribbling what he hoped was a coherent explanation of their most recent mission. While war time had passed for the time being there were still hollows to exterminate and training to accomplish. Their latest mission had been somewhat successful but the amount of injuries was evidence of his squad’s lack of skill in the face of much more intense training. 

“Then again without a focused leader what else could they expect,” he thought darkly, snapping his pen in his hand under the strain of his frustrated fingers. Cursing he flung the damaged writing tool aside and snatched another from the interior of his drawer, slamming it shut before continuing his thought. With a long sigh he put the final touches on the report before depositing it into an envelope. 

He was just about to ring for one of his subordinates to deliver it when he realized he was stiff from sitting so long. A walk would do him some good to loosen up and clear his head. He stood, stretching his taught muscles, before grabbing the envelope along with a number of others. “If I’m going for a walk anyway, might as well drop off the rest of these,” he considered, hoping that seeing some friendly faces would brighten his mood. 

Moving at a mediocre pace Shuuhei took a deep breath, deciding that yes, it was a good idea for him to deliver these documents himself. Lately it seemed he spent all his time cooped up in his office or on the training grounds. 

Before long he’d reached the door to the captain’s office of the Tenth Division. Knocking soundly he announced himself and was given permission to enter by Toushiro. 

“Good afternoon Hitsugaya-Taichou,” Hisagi uttered respectfully. 

Before the white haired prodigy could respond his exuberant lieutenant sprung up from her chair exclaiming, “Shuuhei, where have you been?! We’ve missed you at our Friday night bar outings!”

“Matsumoto, remember your place and address Hisagi-Taichou appropriately,” reprimanded the white haired captain. He’d grown taller in the intervening years and now almost met her eye to eye. 

Unaffected by his outburst Rangiku flung her arms around Shuuhei nearly causing him to drop the folders still in his hands. 

“Hiya Rangiku,” he whispered in her ear and she giggled before pulling back. 

“You really should join us, everyone misses you!”

He smiled tiredly. While he appreciated the buxom fukutaichou’s efforts to include him now that he was a captain he really didn’t have the time to slack off. Shaking his head ruefully he replied, “Sorry, Matsumoto-fukutaichou,” with an ironic grin, making sure to use her proper title while in the presence of her uptight captain, “but I simply don’t have time. Plus, I’m no longer a lieutenant, so I’m sure the others would not appreciate a captain’s presence during their time of relaxation.”

Rangiku was momentarily struck dumb as she took in the site of her friend. He looked exhausted, eyes red rimmed and slight bags present, but even still was stunningly handsome. How she wished she could help him take a moment to relax! Maybe even go on a date and at the very least get laid. The poor man probably hadn’t had either in decades!

“Oh poo! You’re no fun! You know what they say about all work and no play,” she teased. 

“Yes, it means more gets done,” her captain snapped before looking pointedly at her desk filled with tilting piles of paperwork.

She turned, throwing a pout his way before backing off to return to her desk.

“My apologies for the interruption taichou, here are the reports you asked for.”

Toushiro accepted the envelope with a nod, “Thank you Hisagi-taichou.”

Shuuhei cast a smirk towards Matsumoto before leaving the office. She stared after him, eyes gleaming as she ran through various plots and plans of trying to help the overworked captain get some downtime, or even get down time. The thought made her smirk. 

“Whatever you’re planning forget about it Matsumoto,” muttered her captain, not looking up from his writing.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about taichou,” she countered. 

“Humph,” was all he replied. He knew that look in the troublesome woman’s eye and despite himself felt sorry for Shuuhei Hisagi. 

Said captain had at that moment reached his next destination of the Fourth Division. He was checking on three of his squad members who’d been more heavily injured during their latest mission, hence the reason for the additional paperwork he was carrying. 

As he rounded a corner he felt something slam into him. Well, someone, as he heard a startled, “Oh, I’m so sorry!” Looking down his saw burnt orange hair, almost copper in color, before his dark grey eyes locked onto wide light grey ones. Momentarily stunned by the impact both parties stared at each other before the woman on the ground sprung up and then bowed deeply, “Hisagi-taichou, my apologies for running into you. I wasn’t looking where I was going and was trying to get to --- oh!” she exclaimed shooting back up to a standing position.

“Please excuse me, I’m needed in the east wing, but it was good to see you again taichou,” she hurriedly spoke as she ran down the hall. 

Shuuhei stood looking after Inoue Orihime as she sped down the corridor and around another corner. 

“What is she doing here?” he wondered, continuing on his way to Unohana-taichou’s office. Reaching his destination he again knocked and was told to enter, this time by Kotetsu-fukutaichou.

“Hello Hisagi-taichou, what brings you here this afternoon?” Meeting her eyes Shuuhei saw the tiredness he felt reflected there. Isane worked as long and hard as her stoic captain, often to the detriment of her own wellbeing. Hisagi couldn’t help but admire her determination to constantly better herself. 

“Kotetsu-fukutaichou, here are the documents Uonhana-taichou requested for my members who are being treated. If it is alright I would like to look in on them,” he replied handing her the envelopes. 

She set them upon her captain’s desk then turned to face her former fellow lieutenant, a small smile on her face. 

“Of course taichou, please follow me,” she replied serenely and walked back out the door he had just entered. They walked in companionable silence before Shuuhei said somewhat awkwardly, “Er, I, um, ran into Inoue Orihime on my way here.”

Isane turned her attention to him and smiled again, “Oh really? I knew she’d arrived today but hadn’t seen her yet. Do you know where she went?”

“She mentioned being needed in the east wing,” he replied, still wondering why the human healer was in Soul Society, notably without her normal companions. Shuuhei was sure he’d have felt Kurosaki’s reiatsu by now if he were anywhere near the Seireitei.

Isane’s eyes widened slightly, “Oh dear, that is where your subordinates are, come, let us hurry.” 

They picked up the pace, Shuuhei now more worried about his team members. From what he understood their injuries, while severe, had not been life threatening. He found it odd that Isane would jump to the conclusion that Inoue-san’s presence was required because of his team but didn’t question her instincts. 

As they entered the east wing Orihime had just let down her healing dome from over one of his squad members. The young woman lying in the bed was breathing heavily, a patch of red staining the sheet she was covered with. Orihime was speaking to a Fourth member, explaining that all was well now and the warrior would need to rest. 

Turning she stopped her forward progression at the site of the lieutenant and captain standing in front of her. 

“Oh, good afternoon again, Hisagi-taichou. Good afternoon Kotetsu-fukutaichou,” she stated with a bow. 

“Good afternoon Inoue-san,” Isane replied, “I trust all has gone well?”

Orihime rose back to a standing position smiling, “Hai, she should be fully healed by tomorrow.”

“What happened?” Shuuhei inquired, still not clear on why Inoue-san was here or why her powers had been necessary for his subordinate.

Turning her attention to him she stammered, “Oh…um…it seemed that…the wound had a…pocket of poison in it and it ruptured. Er…this caused significant damage and bleeding…” she trailed off, not sure how to explain that kido had not been enough to stop it without offending her current company. 

Isane smiled gently at her hesitation, “It’s ok Inoue-san. We know there is only so much we can do with kido. I’m just thankful you are our ally and were here to assist, thank you.” At the conclusion of her statement she bowed. Hisagi hesitated a moment then bowed as well in a show of thanks. 

Orihime, of course, flustered and blushed, stammering again, “Oh really…it’s nothing…I’m happy to be able to help.” 

Shuuhei and Isane regained their standing positions and all looked at each other for a moment before the captain spoke again. “Kotetsu-fukutaichou, I’ll be taking my leave now and will return tomorrow to check on the progress of my team. Thanks again, Inoue-san,” he ended as he walked out of the room. He heard a murmured “you’re welcome” from the gentle healer. 

By the time Shuuhei returned to his office he realized he’d forgotten to ask what Inoue-san was doing in Soul Society in the first place. Not that it really mattered much to him, he barely knew the girl other than what he’d heard from others or from the little he’d seen her work. Her abilities really were amazing and he agreed with Isane’s sentiments about her being on their side. Had she actually turned traitor…he shuddered at the thought.

Going back to his paperwork he tried to push the healer out of his mind but she remained persistently present in his forethoughts. It confused Hisagi but he figured maybe it was just because usually when any or all of the former ryokas were in Soul Society it meant trouble was not far behind. Typically they didn’t just stop by for a visit. Then again, with Kyouraku Shunsui as the new captain commander one didn’t know what the new standards were. 

After another half hour of pondering Shuuhei decided he needed to find out what was going on, if for no other reason than the sake of his own sanity. He felt awkward just asking her outright given they were not on close terms. He could ask Rangiku but he wondered if she even knew the girl was here. Surely when he saw her this morning the busty lieutenant would have mentioned her best human friend visiting? But then again why would she? Frustrated Hisagi decided he would go to the lieutenant bar outing. He felt it the least suspicious opportunity to obtain the information he wanted. Undoubtedly they would either be talking about Inoue-san or perhaps she would be there since she was close with at least Matsumoto and Abarai. 

Satisfied with this plan he sent a hell butterfly to Rangiku asking her where they were meeting. She sent one back almost immediately, her shrill excited voice proclaiming her glee that he would be joining them before giving him the location. It was a new archery themed bar called The Quiver. Why that theme he had no idea but at least it was different in a world of swords and kido spells. 

The next few hours went by slowly but soon enough it was time for him to be heading out to meet up with his former fellow lieutenants. Admittedly he missed them and figured that even if he did not obtain the information he wanted this odd reason for attending had at least pushed him to reconnect with some of his good friends. He realized with a smirk he owed Inoue-san another thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Suddenly There Was You  
By bleachfanficfanatic

Chapter 2

Shuuhei reached The Quiver just in time to see Renji and Inoue-san talking outside. He was pleased that his memory and assumption had been correct. Renji noticed him first, smirking as he waved a greeting. Inoue-san followed his eyes smiling and waving as well. 

“Good evening Hisagi-taichou,” her cheery voice exclaimed as he made his way to them. He shook Renji’s hand firmly but replied to her, “Please call me Shuuhei, I hear that title all day every day, gets a little old after a while.” She widened her eyes in surprise but the red headed man next to her just laughed, “The same goes for me with “fukutaichou”.” 

Orihime couldn’t understand their attitudes; shouldn’t they be proud of their accomplishments? Then again, last names, titles and suffixes served more than one purpose. They were a means of showing respect…but also distance. She felt her face falling and actively willed herself to smile brighter. She was here to help her friends, have a good time and simply forget.

Renji couldn’t help but noticed the change in her demeanor, slight as it was. Over the years he’d spent more and more time with Orihime and had begun to be able to see through her facades and false cheerfulness. He figured the strawberry punk was, as usual, the cause of any melancholy in her making him wonder for at least the thousandth time what she saw in the insensitive ass. 

“Orihime, are you ok?” he asked lowly trying not to draw more attention than necessary from their companion. Her smile faltered briefly, so fast one could barely detect it, before it was back again and she shook her head, “I’m fine Renji, come on, let’s go in and find everyone else.” He knew she wasn’t fine but didn’t push it. Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder he turned and opened the door of the bar. 

The interaction of the two had not gone unnoticed by Hisagi but he made no comment. It was clear these two were close. How close he didn’t know since he and Renji didn’t really speak about their romantic interests. He’d thought, along with the rest of the shinigami in Soul Society, that Renji was hopelessly devoted to Kuchiki Rukia. Which was why the exchange he’d just witnessed confused him; were Renji Abarai and Orihime Inoue more than friends? 

The next moment he had his answer when he saw the look on Abarai’s face as his eyes landed on the raven hair of his taichou’s adopted sister. “No,” Shuuhei thought as he observed them when Rukia spotted him, her face clearly brightening, “It’s those two against the world forever. Abarai is probably just protective of Inoue-san because of all they’ve been through together; of what we’ve all been through together.” He felt his mood begin to shift and hauled it back to the positive. He wanted to enjoy his time out with these people as well as find out the reason for the healer’s visit. 

“Shuuhei! It’s so good to see you,” Rangiku’s voice rang out over the revelry going on about them. 

He chuckled. “You just saw me this morning Rangiku.”

“Yes but that was at work! This is much better!” 

Everyone laughed and made their way to the bar. Pretty soon the sake was flowing and the noise level climbing as the lieutenants and captain along with the human healer enjoyed their evening together. A round of appetizers was ordered to soak up some of the alcohol as they talked, teased each other and generally let loose. 

Hisagi noticed that even Inoue-san was partaking in the drinks, if much less than the rest of their companions. She’d had one full saucer and was nursing her second throughout the night. The ninth division captain hadn’t been out drinking in so long that he set a slow pace for himself as well. 

“Ishida-kun would probably love this place,” he heard her say to Rangiku. But then her brow furrowed and she murmured, “No, actually, he’d probably say something about it insulting the pride of the Quincy’s.” No one had heard her last comment except him and he laughed out loud at it. Her eyes whipped to his face and she beamed a brilliant smile at him. 

Soon the question he’d been waiting for anyone but himself to ask was voiced by Kira Izuru.

“Inoue-san, I meant to ask what you are doing in Soul Society.” 

It seemed he’d intended to do so quietly but the moment he asked there’d been a lull in the noise and his voice had carried farther than usual. Hisagi suspected his level of intoxication also had something to do with it. 

The busty healer blushed slightly with all attention turned to her but answered, “Oh, um, because of the more intense training regiment the captain commander requested my presence. Just in case of, well, accidents and injuries.” 

Her proclamation created a pause in the happy atmosphere momentarily before Rangiku burst out in a drunken laugh, “Isn’t that just the most ironic thing you’ve ever heard? A living person asked to watch over death gods while they train to protect the rest of the living and the dead?” Somehow the way she said it made everyone, including Inoue-san, laugh and the joyful attitude of the evening returned full force. 

Hisagi, however, had caught the slight nuance in her reply. Her words were truth no doubt; they all knew the training had become more intense because of all the wars they’d faced. But instinctively he felt that being here and conducting herself as requested was the means to another end. What that end was he had no idea, but he once again found himself inquisitive about this girl. 

The evening was winding down and all save for the captain and healer were two sheets to the wind. Laughing as they stumbled out of the establishment blessed by their yen each reveler made their way home on wobbly legs. 

Renji came over to Orihime and spoke in low tones something that made her blush but she nodded her head, seemingly in understanding. Looking around he spotted Hisagi and roared out, “Oi, Shuuhei! Would you see Orihime home?” 

Said captain merely had to look at the petite woman waiting for the red head to figure out what was going on. He smirked and nodded, waving them off with a soft, “Go on, have a goodnight, I’ll make sure she gets back ok.”

“Thanks taichou,” Renji muttered and turned to join his love. Hisagi felt a pang of jealousy that surprised him. It wasn’t that he wanted Kuchiki. He’d not want to have to deal with Byakuya as a brother-in-law thank you very much. But looking at the pair as they stumbled down the road arm in arm he was reminded of what he lacked: a person to share his life with. Given all the recent loss he’d faced he suddenly realized he truly desired a steady companion. Someone warm, someone sweet and kind…someone…

“Hisagi-taichou, are you alright,” he heard Inoue-san softly ask near him and he almost jumped at the sound of her voice. 

“Hai, I’m fine Inoue-san and I thought I told you to call me Shuuhei?

She blushed for some reason but then smiled, “In that case call me Orihime, ok?”

“It’s a deal. So, where are you staying during your visit?”

“The Kuchiki Manor,” she replied. 

“Of course, I should have figured. Well then, shall we make our way there?”

She fluttered her hands in front of her insistently shaking her head at the same time, “You don’t really have to walk me back I know my way. Renji just worries but I can take care of myself.” She finished this last statement with her head down, voice lower than it has been before. 

Shuuhei frowned and stepped closer to her, the influence of the sake enabling him to invade her personal space more than he would have were he not buzzed. Lightly touching her chin but with firm pressure he tipped her head up. 

“I will not have someone as beautiful as you left alone on these streets at night no matter how good you are with those powers of yours.”

She’d hitched her breath at the compliment, cheeks flaming pinker as she struggled to maintain his gaze. Suddenly he realized what he’d said and their close proximity to each other. Chastising his impulsive behavior he stepped back with a cough, gesturing that they should begin walking. 

They fell into step next to each other, Orihime looking up at the stars as she walked. Hisgai had to grab her twice; once to avoid a post and again to sidestep a pothole. Both times he felt a jolt of electricity when he touched her but would release her as quickly as possible so as not to cause her discomfort again like when he’d made that true but foolish statement. Also, he had no clue what he was feeling. He just knew there had been a shift of…something…and he was trying to figure out what it was. 

He’d spoken the truth when he said she was beautiful but she was probably told that all the time. Then again, if that were the case, why had she reacted the way she had? Was it because he had said it? Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Again he found himself plague by questions and curiosity about this woman. She was both simplicity and complexity rolled into one. 

Before long they’d reach the Kuchiki Manor gates but he insisted on walking her all the way to the door. Upon their arrival they stood awkwardly looking at each other for a moment. Orihime broke the silence, her voice low and soft, “Thank you for walking me home. It was fun tonight.” 

“It was, wasn’t it? Well, have a good rest of your evening, or I guess it’s early morning by now. I’m sure I’ll see you around in the coming days,” replied Hisagi politely. Then taking her hand he kissed it lightly before he shunpo’d away. 

Orihime stood looking in the direction he’d gone before entering the manor and making her way to the guest chambers. After changing into pajamas she lay in the exquisite bed and thought over the day. “I’m so glad the captain commander requested me when he did. This is just what I needed,” she thought as her eyes closed with a small smile on her face while she thought over Shuuhei’s gentlemanly treatment of her that evening. 

The next morning Hisagi was glad of his decision to go lightly on the drinking. He’d been so out of practice the little he’d had was giving him a headache as it was. Groaning as he stretched stiff limbs he clambered out of bed his destination the shower. Showered, changed and properly nourished he contemplated what to do with the day. Normally, even though it was the weekend, he’d make himself go into the office to get more paperwork done or at least go to the training grounds to make up for lost time. 

Today he felt no motivation for either but also did not desire to be idle. He felt restless but couldn’t figure out why. Then it hit him full force: he was thinking about Orihime again. 

“Why can’t I get that girl out of my head?” he wondered aloud but wished he voiced his thoughts when another voice asked, “What girl?” 

He jumped nearly a foot at the sound of the voice and turned to find none other than Rangiku looking at him. Well, looking was an understatement to what she was doing. She was positively glowing at him in her excitement. “Great,” he muttered turning to fully face her. 

“Come on now, Shuuhei, who has our so serious captain of the ninth all in a bunch,” she teased lightly poking him in the shoulder. 

“No one,” he lied and she crossed her arms, giving him a look of “who do you think you’re dealing with?” He knew exactly who he was dealing with: one of the most determined matchmakers in Soul Society. He cursed his stupidity of having spoken aloud but really, who expects someone who was as drunk as her to be at his door so early in the morning? 

Sighing he placed his hands on his hips and looked down. He might as well fess up and get it over with, whatever it was. “Who knows? Maybe this will help,” he thought then swiftly kicked that hope to curb. His admittance of who was on his mind could cause nothing but trouble though he saw little way out of it. 

Looking up he finally replied, “Orihime.”

Shuuhei had no idea someone could open their eyes that wide but before she could ramble on with whatever it was she was about to say he hastily continued, “I mean, not like that on my mind! I’m just curious what’s going on with her.”

The tenth division lieutenant looked doubtful but for once didn’t outright push words into his mouth. That alone told him something really was up with the healer. 

“Rangiku, I know she said she’s here because the captain commander requested her but is it just me or does it seem like there’s another reason behind the reason?” 

He figured he sounded crazy so he was surprised when she nodded her head, her eyes becoming slightly wistful as she sighed. 

“What’s going on? Or…should you not tell me? If it’s too personal, then please, don’t betray her trust. I just…I just noticed is all.”

The woman in front of him tilted her head in contemplation, seeming to debate with herself about whether to say anything or not. Considering the man before her and what she knew of the girl they were speaking about the unbidden thought of killing two birds with one stone entered her mind. She shook her head slightly to herself, unwilling to believe that was even a remotely good idea. But the thought wouldn’t leave. 

Finally she spoke, “You always were more perceptive and sensitive than people gave you credit for Shuuhei.” He raised his eyebrows at the compliment as she continued, “You’re not wrong. There is something else going on with Orihime but you’re right when you say it’s not for me to share it. I’ll only say that, if you’re concerned about her or even just want to get to know her better, for whatever reason, talk to her.”

Hisagi was slightly surprised at her declaration but did not question her further except to ask, “Um, Rangiku, not that I mind but what brought you here in the first place?”

“I was just passing through and thought I’d check on you. Wasn’t sure how much you drank last night and since you’re out of practice wanted to make sure you were ok,” she giggled. 

He rolled his eyes but thanked her for her concern. With a flip of her hair and slight wave she was gone leaving Hisagi with a new set of questions. Should he go and see Orihime and if yes, what did he say? They weren’t friends, well, maybe now that they were on a first name basis they were in her eyes. She seemed to make friends really easily. Huffing in vexation he decided to bite the bullet and just go see her. What was the worst that could happen?


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

 

Suddenly There Was You  
By bleachfanficfanatic

Chapter 3

Having decided to see Orihime, Shuuhei’s next task was to find where she was. More than likely she’d be at the Fourth considering she was helping heal shinigamis returning from training sessions, even on a weekend. This was perfect for him because he’d said he would be back that day to visit his subordinates. While en route he came upon Rukia and greeted her good morning.

“Good morning Hisagi-taichou. Thank you for seeing Orihime home last night, we were so glad you could join us,” she replied kindly. 

“I’m guessing the rest of your evening went well,” he asked with slight look of amusement on his face. 

Smiling coyly, the faintest hint of pink on her face, she nodded and Shuuhei found her non-verbal reply gratifying. He was glad to see confidence in herself and the recently publicized relationship with her fellow red headed lieutenant. For many decades they’d danced around, avoided and outright denied their feelings for each other dominantly because of politics within the Kuchiki Clan. Last night was the first time they’d been out in public as a couple. 

“Speaking of Orihime,” he continued after a pause, “where could I find her this morning?” 

Rukia raised her eyebrows in curiosity but her schooled tongue refrained her from asking her former comrade (now superior) why he wanted to know. Despite being on friendly terms she tried to maintain some sort of decorum expected of a Kuchiki. 

So instead she merely answered the question, “I believe she is at the Fourth.” Having reached the junction which would lead to her division grounds she bid him good day, mentally noting to ask Orihime what, if anything, happened with Hisagi-taichou when she saw her that evening at home. 

Shuuhei continued on his way considering what he would say when he saw her. “Why am I making such a big deal about this,” he chastised himself, “I’ll just see if she’d like to go to lunch or something. Simple, easy.” 

Entering the main hall of the infirmary he came across the newest third seat, Yamada Hanataro. Bowing low the soft spoken Fourth member greeted him, “Good morning Hisagi-taichou, may I be of any assistance?” 

“Yes Yamada-san, I’m here to look in on my squad members, do you know if they have been moved from the east wing?”

Hanataro nodded, walking in the direction of their rooms as he indicated for the captain to follow him. Once they’d reach their destination the third seat turned to go but Shuuhei stopped him, “Yamada-san, please send Inoue-san to me if you would.” Hanataro widened his eyes slightly but said nothing outside of an acceptance of the task. 

Turning to his two male squad members he asked after their condition with both assuring him they’d be back to full duty by the beginning of the following week. He wished them well and moved to the room next door to speak to the female of the injured trio. She’d received the worst injuries having defended the other two when they’d been knocked unconscious. As he was speaking with her, glad to see she was doing exceptionally well thanks to Orihime’s healing, the copper haired beauty entered the room. 

“Ah, Inoue-san,” he’d barely managed to remember to maintain professionalism, “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

He noted the look of concern on her face as she replied, “Of course, Hisagi-taichou, is something wrong? Does Yuikin-san require additional healing?” Suddenly he realized how his summoning her to his squad member’s rooms looked. Leading her back out into the hallway he murmured, “No Inoue-san, my apologies for worrying you. I wanted to speak to you and it was faster to have Yamada-san ask you to come here than wander around looking for you.”

She smiled in relief once she knew he’d not asked her to come for any serious need. “Of course taichou, I understand. What did you want to speak to me about?”

“Are you available to join me for lunch this afternoon? If not, then perhaps for dinner?”

Orihime was momentarily stunned by the simple question. Hisagi Shuuhei? Asking her out on a…date? Was it a date? Her mind struggled to decipher what was happening, her cheeks heating up. Shuuehi wasn’t sure what to do but was second guessing himself as the silence wore on and she made no reply.

“Inoue-san?” he hazarded and finally she blinked. 

“Eh? Oh, sorry! Sorry taichou! Sometimes the little blue men mess with the connections between my mouth and my brain,” she rushed out making his eyebrows rise. The little blue…what? But she was speaking again so he didn’t have time to consider them further, “I mean, yes! Yes, I would like to join you for a meal. I have prior commitments for lunch but I can join you for dinner.” 

He smiled and she noted how much more handsome he was when he did. 

“Great, I’ll pick you up from the manor. Does 7:00 work?”

She nodded, not wanting to embarrass herself further with inadequate words. Orihime watched as Hisagi made his way to the exit, her heart beating a little harder than normal when she returned to her duties.

She felt a little nervous; it had been a while since she’d been on a date and this was going to be with a shinigami taichou no less. But she shook her head to make herself focus on the tasks she needed to complete. She could freak out later at her lunch with Rangiku. 

Despite her mind’s attempts to distract her, the first half of her busy day flew by quickly and Orihime was walking to the Tenth division to pick up Rangiku for their lunch date. As she arrived she saw her curvaceous friend standing outside the office next to Rukia. It seemed their lunch had become a girl’s afternoon out. Smiling brightly as she reached where they stood Orihime hugged them both in greeting.

The healer could tell they were excited about something and since Rukia was there she figured it had something to do with Renji. She was so happy that he and the dark hair shinigami had finally been able to get together having received Byakuya-sama’s blessing. 

All agreed to wait for talking until they’d been seated at their favorite restaurant. Knowing their orders saved timed and once placed both shinigami focused attention upon Orihime, Rukia bursting out with, “So what happened with Shuuhei?” 

The busty red head was caught off guard by the question. Was Rukia psychic in addition to all her other talents? Seeing her look of surprise her questioner clarified, a slight smirk on her lips, “He asked me where he could find you this morning.”

Orihime’s eyes widened more slightly before she began fiddling with her fingers, shifting her gaze to the table. 

“Well come on Orihime, spill the beans! We haven’t had anything this exciting happen in a while,” exclaimed Rangiku. 

Rukia exclaimed, “Hey, what about me and Renji?!”

“Oh Rukia, everyone and their brother, besides yours apparently but even that I’m not convinced of, knew about you and Renji! We were all just waiting for the idiot to finally get the balls to ask your brother for permission and then FINALLY officially ask you out!”

Rukia grumbled something under her breath and Orihime giggled at the exchange. 

“There, that’s better, now be a good girl and tell us all about it!” Matsumoto was practically bouncing with excitement. 

“But Rangiku,” Orihime almost whined, “There’s not much to tell. I mean, he asked me to lunch but I told him I had plans.”

“Oh sweetie you could have canceled, how could you pass up a chance to go out with a hottie like Shuuhei?”

“I wouldn’t do that, you’re important to me Rangiku! And you too, Rukia, I was so happy to see you joining us,” protested Orihime. She paused before taking a breath, “Besides, he gave me the option of going to dinner if I wasn’t available for lunch.” She stopped making both women lean forward in anticipation. 

“And?” Rukia prompted.

“And I accepted. He’s picking me up from the manor at 7:00.”

Rangiku squealed and Rukia gasped both asking her questions at the same time. 

 

“Where is he taking you?” This from Rukia while Rangiku asked, “Do you know what you’re going to wear? Oh! I can do your hair and makeup!” Orihime laughed at their exuberance and shook her head at knowing where they were going while accepting Matsumoto’s offer to help her get ready. With her friends beside her Orihime already felt much better about the date until Rukia asked hesitantly in lower tones, “Does…does this mean you’re moving on from him?”

Rangiku smacked her shoulder in reprimand for even bringing it up when Orihime stopped giggling and her eyes turned slightly sad. She didn’t speak as their food had just arrived. When the server left their table she sighed heavily, “I think it’s time to. Unless…do you think it’s wrong to…to go out with Shuuhei if-” Rangiku didn’t let her finish, “No Orihime, I think what you’re doing is a good thing. Hell, I would have given up on the idiot a long time ago but that’s me. Shuuhei is a great guy; you’ll have a good time with him.”

Orihime still looked doubtful as she took a bite of her noodles, “Are you sure it isn’t, I don’t know, treating him like a rebound?”

Rukia’s eyes widened slightly but again it was Rangiku who answered, “No sweetie, it’s been how long? Almost a year and you haven’t gone out with anyone else? I think it’s high time you got your feet wet in the dating scene again.”

“Yeah but,” she hesitated taking another shaky breath, “But I still care about him so much.”

Both women had looks of sympathy on their faces. Rukia reached out to grab her sad friend’s hand, “Orihime, I’m sorry I brought it up, I hate seeing you upset.”

“No no Rukia, this is a good thing I think. I mean, I could have really ruined the night if I didn’t have time to talk about this now,” Orihime replied squeezing her hand. 

“And to answer your question about caring for that dimwit, you will always care about him, that’s just who you are. But you need to free yourself to learn to love someone else. I’m not saying it will necessarily be Shuuhei but he’ll certainly be able to get the ball rolling,” Rangiku assured. 

“That’s right,” encouraged Rukia, “So don’t worry about Ichigo and focus on enjoying the evening with Shuuhei.” 

Mollified by their words Orihime began smiling again they began discussing her outfit. It would be somewhat of a challenge given they didn’t know where he planned on taking her but they eventually agreed that a simple dress would suffice. 

Talk moved to other topics as they enjoyed their food and Orihime felt thankful once again for deciding to take the captain commander up on his offer to stay for the summer in Soul Society. She was in between jobs at the moment so could afford the time away from the living world. 

After lunch the three women returned to their respective duties, Rangiku promising to meet the other two at the manor at 6:00 to help Orihime get ready. 

In what seemed a short period of time they all found themselves at the planned destination and were soon talking and giggling while getting Orihime prepared for her date. Rukia insisted she should wear her dark green knee length dress embroidered with dragonflies along the hem, a gift from Ishida for her last birthday. They paired it with a white sweater in case the evening turned chilly and black ballet flats. Rangiku did simple makeup consisting of pink lipstick, gold eye shadow and minimal blush, making sure to thicken her eyelashes with plenty of mascara and finishing off with a spray of a light floral perfume. 

At 7:00 precisely a servant knocked on the door to announce Hisagi-taichou had arrived and was requesting Inoue-san’s presence. The healer could not convince her friends to stay in the room so with a slight flush she made her way to the main entrance hall, two grinning shinigamis in her wake. 

Shuuhei stood near the door clad in his normal Shihakusho. Upon seeing Orihime he wished he’d had changed but having gotten tied up in more paperwork that afternoon he’d not left time to figure out what, if anything, different to wear. “Too late to do anything about it now,” he muttered to himself before saying, “Good evening Inoue-san, Kuchiki-san, Matsuomoto-san.” 

“Enough with the formalities Shuuhei. Really, being a captain has really done a number on you,” Rangiku laughed causing the taichou to flash her a look of annoyance. Orihime giggled nervously saying, “Well, I guess we’ll be off. See you girls later.”

“Where are you taking her?” Rangiku asked ignoring her friend’s attempt to leave just yet. She was enjoying Shuuhei’s awkwardness while it lasted. 

The tattooed face man replied, “Rainbow Bridge.”

She raised her eyebrows, “Wow, I must say I’m impressed.”

“Tch, thanks for the vote of confidence,” he retorted before turning his attention back to the red haired beauty. “You ready to go Orihime?”

“Yes,” she answered simply and they exited the manor. Orihime knew she should prepare herself for a long night. She had no idea how long she’d be gone with Shuuhei but she was certain the two women they were leaving behind would be up waiting for her to get all the details. She couldn’t really complain though, being thankful instead to have such amazing and supportive friends. 

Turning as they exited the gates Shuuhei stopped to take a moment to really look at Orihime. He’d been slightly nervous still since it was his first date in decades and with someone he barely knew. Top that off with her being a human from the living world staying at the Kuchiki Manor (he never was quite fully comfortable around the head of the clan) and suddenly he’d had sweaty palms, was taking deeper breaths and stressing over where to take her. Now he was anxious that she may be disappointed he hadn’t dressed differently. 

“I could have at least gotten a full sleeved Kosode,” he thought frowning internally. 

“Shuuhei, is everything ok?” he heard her ask bringing him out of his self berating. It was the second time she’d had to call him out of his own thoughts and he shook his head. Really, he should save this sort of thing for when he was alone!

“Yeah, sorry Orihime, just thinking…” he answered, trailing off when he realized he didn’t really want to tell her about what. 

“Oh, well, if there’s something wrong or you’re second guessing taking me out, it’s ok. You don’t have to,” she replied softly. 

Shuuhei was surprised at her tendency to always think there was something wrong with her, that she had done something to upset someone and to put herself down. He’d come to believe when women behaved that way it was a means to fish for compliments or reassurances but he could tell Orihime was not that type of woman. Her self confidence was really that low and it bothered him. Then again, his interactions with women had typically been with those who were captains, lieutenants and warriors, most of which if not all held their heads high and carried themselves with pride. 

He decided to be honest with her, even at the chance she would laugh at him, “Actually, I was wondering if you were disappointed I hadn’t um… “dressed up” for tonight.”

Her eyes widened in complete surprise; that was the last thing she’d expected to hear. Then she smiled sweetly and giggled out, “Don’t be silly Shuuhei. You look great!”

His eyes held warmth as he replied, “Thank you, but, I should have considered trying to dress more appropriately so as not to look out of place next to you.”

She tilted her head in confusion but then realized what he was getting at. “Oh Shuuhei, if you mean trying to…um… “match” my clothing type don’t worry about it. I’m the one who looks out of place here, not you.”

He stepped closer, taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze, “You don’t look out of place; you look lovely.” 

Orihime felt her face heating up under his gaze, trying desperately not to begin breathing hard but surprisingly she wasn’t uncomfortable with the contact. When he’d taken her hand she felt the warmth of his skin, the gentleness of his touch and the confidence in what he was doing. 

“It will be faster if I use shunpo, are you ok with that?” he asked.

“Oh, yes, of course! I’ve traveled that way many times,” she answered quickly with a renewed smile, “It’s actually really fun!” 

He laughed and gripped her hand tighter before saying, “Ok then, let’s go!” The next moment they were moving at a fast, but comfortable speed towards the Rainbow Bridge.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Author’s Note: I’m playing around with the timeline here because I’d like Orihime to at least be nineteen so if my span of time doesn’t make sense my apologies.

Suddenly There Was You  
By bleachfanficfanatic

Chapter 4

In ten minutes Shuuhei and Orihime stopped their forward movement to stand before a large, beautiful waterfall cascading down a cliff face into a deep pool of sapphire blue. Just that site alone took her breath away; the height of the cliff, the roar of the water and the cool spray felt from the splashing. 

Her companion looked at her face, pleased to see she was already in awe. Both had yet to notice he’d not let go of her hand. 

“Shuuhei,” she breathed, breaking the spell only slightly, “this is amazing! I had no idea anything like this existed here.” He smiled at her pleasure, glad his decision to bring her here was turning out this well and they’d only just arrived. 

“Come on, you haven’t seen anything yet,” he smirked tugging on her hand. She followed him leaving her digits incased in his. They made their way to a small building to the side of the pool and Orihime realized it was a restaurant. Outside sat eight tables with two chairs each facing the cliff and they took a seat. Before long a young woman came out with menus, bowing low before she handed them over. 

The sun was still shining fairly bright in the sky thanks to it being the beginning of summer and Orihime enjoyed the warm glow over her skin. As it began to sink lower she noticed colors appear on a wall of rock above the restaurant. Slowly the colors grew more saturated until a beautiful rainbow was splayed across the pure white stone. She gasped in surprise and joy clenching Shuuhei’s hand in her excitement. He grinned again finding himself very glad she was enjoying herself so much. 

The colors bounced and danced, shifted and changed as the sun sank lower and lower into the sky bringing the rainbow mural with it. The “show” lasted about five minutes and Shuuhei couldn’t help patting himself on the back. They’d arrived at the perfect time to get the full effect of this phenomenon. 

It was when the last remnants of color had faded and the afterglow of the early evening settled around them that Orihime moved her gaze from the wall to Shuuhei’s face. He doubted he’d seen a smile so big in his long life and her radiance made him almost blush. This was pure, unadulterated joy; something he realized he’d rarely seen, especially in the last couple of years. 

“Shuuhei, thank you so much for bringing me here, that was amazing,” she exclaimed in almost a sing song voice. 

He chuckled as he gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it to peruse the menu. Orihime was surprised at how much she missed the contact but didn’t say anything. She’d never expected something this…romantic on a first date but she wasn’t complaining. Unexpected images of her first date with Ichigo flashed through her mind and she winced, looking down to the menu in her hands to try to stop from crying. Thankfully Shuuhei was still reading his so he hadn’t seen her face change. “Why am I thinking about him? I need to stop this!” she thought, split between sadness and irritation.

“Do you know what you would like to eat?” The question snapped her out of her thoughts and she realized she’d been staring at the menu without really reading it. She shook her head, hoping he would interpret the serious look on her face as concentration and not ask her what was wrong. She didn’t want to ruin their first date by talking about former loves. 

“Not yet, everything sounds so good,” she fibbed, trusting that it was most likely true without her having to have really seen what was available. 

“Everything here is good so you really can’t go wrong,” he replied kindly. 

After more review of the menu and asking the opinion of their server they settled on a shared sushi platter and salad since the evening was so warm. Soon their meal was before them and they were momentarily silent while enjoying the first few bites. 

Shuuhei considered the woman across from him, having moved his chair so it was easier to have a conversation and give her space. 

He smiled as memory of his chance encounter with Renji that afternoon took hold of his thoughts. 

“You asked who out?” the red headed lieutenant asked surprised. 

“Orihime; what, did you lose your ability to hear last night?” 

“Shut up, I’m just surprised that’s all. I mean, I had no idea you were even interested in her!”

Shuuhei paused in the consumption of his meal. The two men had run into each other on their way to lunch and decided to eat together. Pushing past his initial embarrassment, Shuuhei asked Renji’s opinion on where to take her since he knew her so well. 

“It’s a recent development,” he murmured before taking another bite. 

Renji narrowed his eyes, “Shuuhei, don’t be dickin’ around with her.” His tone was serious and laced with protective bravado. 

The captain wasn’t surprised at this reaction from the man in front of him. In the last twenty four hours it had become obvious Renji viewed Orihime as a sister figure. 

“Don’t worry Renji, I’m not looking for an easy score or anything like that. I’m…intrigued by her. Plus, Rangiku gave the go ahead if I was interested and I am so I’m trying to get to know her.”

Renji’s eyes had widened at the mention of the Tenth’s lieutenant, “Wait a minute; Rangiku knew you wanted to ask her out?”

Shuuhei recounted his morning conversation with their mutual friend which seemed to quell some of Renji’s initial irritation with the situation. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Shuuhei and he knew he was a good guy overall, but when it came to Orihime he sometimes surprised himself with how protective he became. 

“So, are you going to help me figure out where to take her or not?” Shuuhei asked after a further moment of silence. 

“Sure, you’re taking her to dinner, yeah?” 

“Yeah, but I have no idea what she likes,” Shuuhei responded running his hand through his hair. 

Renji chuckled and the captain looked at him curiously. 

“Her taste in food is odd so it really doesn’t matter where you take her. She’ll probably surprise you with her choices in condiments.”

“So what? People ask for sauces and stuff on the side all the time.”

“Yeah, but chocolate sauce to dip wasabi fries in?” Renji countered with a grin. 

Shuuhei felt his stomach lurch and pushed the rest of his meal away causing his lunch companion to laugh out loud. 

“Anyway, I think you should take her to Rainbow Bridge,” he recommended taking another bite of his food. 

“Rainbow Bridge? Really? The guy who doesn’t want me to “dick around with her” is recommending I take her to one of the more intimate spots in Soul Society?”

Renji frowned but maintained his position, “Look, it’s about making her happy and trust me, she’ll love the rainbow wall so make sure to get there before sunset. What time are you picking her up again?”

He told him and Renji continued, “That’s perfect for this time of year. Yeah, you should take her there.”

Coming out of his thoughts he noticed Orihime was still quiet but looked contemplative as she stared at the pieces of sushi on her plate. Smiling he asked, “Thinking it could use an extra something? Chocolate or raspberry sauce maybe?”

Her surprised eyes shot to his and her blush almost made him regret teasing her with his insider knowledge…almost. Shuuhei figured this type of reaction was normal for the healer when anyone actually paid attention to her so he decided to just get used to it. If he felt bad every time he made her blush he’d live in a perpetual state of semi-remorse. It was further amusement he realized he’d already planned, assuming she wanted to, on spending more time with her before their first date had even ended. 

But this time he took pity on her, “Sorry Orihime, Renji gave me a heads up to your…unique tastes. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’d like you to enjoy the meal, so if you want something we can ask the waitress for whatever it is you’d like to add, though how much we’ll actually have in Soul Society is debatable.” 

Even as her blush deepened she was smiling, tilting her head down slightly before looking up to meet his eyes. In that moment she looked both alluring and innocent making Shuuhei wonder how she was single. He’d heard rumor of her affections for Kurosaki but had never taken true interest in the gossip. Funny, he considered, since he edited the Seireitei News Magazine and its gossip column. 

Shyly she replied, “You’re not wrong Shuuhei, but this is fine. It’s really good, actually. Thank you for bringing me here, it’s…beautiful and peaceful.” 

“I’m glad you like it.” 

After a slight pause Orihime broke the ice asking him a question related to his captaincy. 

“Unless you don’t want to talk about it, I mean, you work all day every day and with training I’m sure you’re exhausted. Not that you aren’t strong! You are, I mean, you look like you are…um…we can just sit quietly if you’d like,” she ended, cursing her inability to speak clearly when she was nervous. 

By now Shuuhei was laughing, he couldn’t help it, she was just so cute when she was flustered. “Wait, cute? Did I just call her cute?” Well, he’d already called her beautiful and lovely to her face so why not cute internally?

“It’s fine Orihime, I’m glad you’re even interested,” he replied through his chuckles. 

They spent the rest of their time talking, he answering her questions about his job and various things that had happened in Soul Society since her last visit and she answering his questions about her life in the world of the living. 

When she talked of her friends he noticed one name was absent: Kurosaki Ichigo. No matter his lack of understanding as to the exact nature of their relationship he was pretty sure they weren’t together. After all, she was here with him on what was very obviously a date but he found it odd she didn’t mention him once. Wasn’t he once of her closest friends, her dear nakama that meant so much to her? 

He heard about Ishida-kun, who it seemed had made the dress she was wearing, and his diligence in pursuing a medical degree, following in his father’s footsteps despite his initial rejection to do so. She rambled on about Tatsuki’s various karate accomplishments and how she was in the process of getting her business degree so she could open and run her own dojo. Chad was mentioned off handedly as having begun training to be a professional fighter, unsurprising to everyone really. Even Kojima Mizuiro and Asano Keigo made appearances in her vocal meanderings; but no Kurosaki. 

He was tempted to ask her both because it was odd she was very deftly avoiding his name and because he genuinely wanted to know how the savior of three worlds was doing these days. But as she ended a story about her last day at the bakery and something about yeast exploding he saw a haunted look in her eyes. It was almost as if she were silently pleading, “I know you notice I’m not talking about him, please don’t ask about him. Please…don’t ask.”

So Shuuhei didn’t ask. He laughed as she recounted the extreme difficulty of getting yeasty dough out of her hair and the way the manager had laughed as he said it was the worst mistake she’d made and of course it would be on her last day so he couldn’t fire her. 

By the time they’d finished dessert, a simple plate of lemon cookies paired with raspberry flavored water, it was dark and the breeze had picked up. Because they were near the water the air had a slight chill to it causing Orihime to make use of the white sweater she’d brought. Shuuhei paid the bill and stood asking, “So, are you ready to make our way back to the manor?”

“Yes, I’m sure the girls will be waiting for me,” she answered before thinking about it. Her hands flew to her mouth in embarrassment at the implication they would want to know how the evening went. 

Shuuhei merely laughed as he reached for her hands, saying jovially, “I’m not naïve, I just hope I gave you something good to talk about.” He was so charming, so sweet, she couldn’t believe it. 

When Orihime had seen Shuuhei from a distance, especially during their “invasion” of Soul Society, she’d thought him serious and aloof not to mention frightening with his chain wielded zanpakuto. But here he was shattering all her preconceived notions. He laughed at her jokes, teased her good-naturedly but also complimented her and brought her to a completely unexpected, lovely place for an intimate dinner with engaging conversation. It seemed the captain of the Ninth division was a myriad of surprises. 

She’d been silent during her consideration of this man, her hands held loosely in his, when suddenly she realized she’d been staring at him without saying a word for at least a minute if not longer. Shuuhei, however, either didn’t notice or didn’t mind. 

Taking a deep breath he broke them out of their eye lock, “Ok then, let’s get you home.”

They reached the manor a short time later, both slightly disappointed the evening was already coming to a close. 

“Until next time,” he murmured and kissed her cheek. Orihime flushed but smiled sweetly as he pulled back. A moment later she felt a rush of air as he flash-stepped away. Sighing she fell against the door, somewhat overwhelmed by the whole experience. 

She stood there for a moment, enjoying the opportunity to savor the memory of the evening before she felt the door open and two women pulled her to her room in order to get all the juicy details. 

Author’s Note: I really hope this wasn’t too cheesy. I just picture Shuuhei, given the chance, as a romantic and thus would be not opposed to Renji’s idea. Now dear readers, I have a question for you all. I originally rated this story “T” but I’m feeling a hankering to write some ShuuHime lovin’ so I’ll ask if I should change the rating to “M” to allow for a way in the future lemon. I’m not going to throw them right into bed but really, they can’t resist each other forever right? Give me your opinion, should I change the rating? Also, let me know your thoughts on the chapter. Thank you for the faves, follows and reviews thus far. I hope the story continues to garner attention and enjoyment from you all!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo  
A/N: Changed rating to M! Also, song inspiration: “Stolen” by Dashboard Confessional

 

Suddenly There Was You  
By bleachfanficfanatic

Chapter 5

It had already been a month since their first date and Orihime and Shuuhei had seen each other in one way or another almost every day of it. Some days they would meet for lunch, taking a break from their respective busy schedules with Shuuhei occasionally preparing a picnic for them to enjoy in the shade of a tree in the rural area surrounding the Seireitei. Other times it was a dinner out or him joining her at the manor at the behest of Rukia to join her and Renji in a meal. Most evenings spent playing a game of checkers or simply walking the Kuchiki gardens, hidden away from curious eyes should there be any looking. 

Each encounter helped them get to know each other better but Orihime continued to neglect speaking about Kurosaki thus Shuuhei continued to ignore his curiosity about the situation surrounding them. He figured if she wanted him to know she would bring it up. 

Shuuhei found the more often he spent time with her the more he wanted to continue to do so. Her odd quirks and funny mannerisms made talking with her interesting while her topic choices were engaging and original. They’d spoke a little of their childhoods, a topic painful to both of them, and he’d been shocked to hear of her brother’s death.

“I had no idea you had a brother, Orihime, I’m so sorry for your loss.” She saw true compassion and remorse in his eyes from where he sat across from her on a blanket, their latest excursion a lovely picnic in a meadow of wild flowers. 

“Thanks Shuuhei, thankfully he’s here…somewhere. Sometimes I wish the districts weren’t so large and spread out. I’d love to see him again especially given our last meeting before he passed.”

“What do you mean? What happened?” 

Orihime took a deep breath and gulped down her nervousness. This was, of course, a very sensitive topic for her not only because it brought back the painful memory of her initial loss and him turning Hollow but it would make her finally speak a name she’d been avoiding since they’d started spending time together.

She felt his hand on hers and she looked up into his serious dark grey eyes. 

“Orihime, if it’s too painful or you don’t want to talk about it, it’s ok. We can talk about something else or nothing at all if you’d like. It’s up to you.” 

A thankful smile played across her lips and he returned it with a small one of his own. 

“I just…I don’t want to ruin a perfectly beautiful day by being gloomy,” she finally breathed out. 

“That’s fine, though please know I can handle gloomy. So if and when you’re ready to talk about him or…anything else that’s bothering you, you can talk to me. I’m actually a pretty good listener,” he replied. 

It was the closest he’d allowed himself to prod her about Ichigo and he knew she knew it by the look in her eyes. Squeezing his hand she simply nodded, flicking away a few stray tears before smiling brightly again as the breeze played with her loose hair.

They stayed like that for a few more moments, enjoying the silence and peace of being alone together. 

“Come on, the work day rolls on,” Shuuhei said standing, pulling her up by the hand he’d not yet relinquished. Lately they’d found themselves holding hands more the more time they spent together. 

So far it seemed the only people aware that anything was going on between the shinigami and the healer were Renji, Rangiku and Rukia, although they’d yet to establish anything official between them. They were simply enjoying spending time together. 

That assumption was somewhat shattered the following Monday. Shuuhei sat among his fellow captains for their weekly meeting trying to stay awake. He’d been up late the previous night watching the stars with Orihime. One corner of his lips turned up slightly as he thought of that evening. It was the first time he’d brought her to his quarters and after enjoying the dinner he’d prepare for them they went outside on the deck. He’d taken a seat on the ground, leaning against the wall, before gently pulling Orihime down and settling her between his bent legs. She’d been slightly stiff at first since it was the closest physically they’d been for a prolonged amount of time, but soon she relaxed into his chest and her breathing evened out. He actually had no idea how long they’d sat there but he remembered feeling completely content. Now he felt slightly silly for dwelling on it like an academy freshman. 

“Shuuhei-kun, something on your mind you’d like to share?” Kyouraku Shunsui’s voice jolted him out of his thoughts and he struggled in vain not to blush. 

“No, my apologies commander,” he gruffly answered and refocused his attention to the pink kimono clad man. Shunsui had his head down, eyes hidden by the shadow of his Sugegasa but his smirk let Hisagi know he hadn’t fooled the man in the least. 

Though he still possessed lackadaisical tendencies the former captain of the Eighth, now captain commander, proved himself a worthy leader. His focus on comradery and cross training amongst the Gotei 13 had met with initial resistance, particularly from the Twelfth. But overtime his vision was being caught by others and the benefits were beginning to show. 

At the conclusion of the meeting Shuuhei stood but before he could make his way to the door he heard the commander’s voice again, “Shuuhei-kun, a word before you leave please.” Retaking his seat he looked at their leader, waiting for him to speak. After a moment of silence when all had vacated the chambers the man asked, “So, how is our lovely Orihime-chan these days?” 

Shuuhei worked to maintain a look of indifference on his face. “Um, sir, I’m not quite sure-“he began but was stopped by Shunsui’s raised palm. 

“Please, my dear friend, don’t assume you can hide this from me. I am nothing if not a man very aware of the essence of romance.” 

Hisagi felt his cheeks heat up, his grasped hands on the table clenching slightly in agitation. He realized how foolish it was to keep up pretenses that his connection to Orihime was only a “friendly” one. They saw each other almost if not every day and were frequently seen together at various locations in the Seireitei though they never made physical contact while in public or the presence of others. The only exception to this was when they were at the Kuchiki Manor, a place where keeping secrets and minding one’s own business were par for the course. 

The silence wore on, Shuuhei not really sure what his commander expected him to say and not sure how much he wanted to. Shunsui smirked before continuing, “Just be careful Hisagi Shuuhei, you don’t want to end up in your own lovelorn manga do you?”

Shuuhei raised his eyebrows in confusion, “Sir?”

The commander sighed, steeling himself to engage in a serious conversation, a former rarity that seemed to occur more and more much to his dissatisfaction. Some days he missed when he could be even more carefree than he allowed himself now. 

“Shuuhei-kun, I don’t blame you for being drawn to someone like Inoue Orihime. She is lovely both inside and out, but keep in mind she will be leaving in two months time. Not that she won’t be allowed to come back and probably will from time to time but she is alive; she has her own life to live out in the world of the living. I won’t say you shouldn’t continue to see her but please keep in mind how much harder, for both of you, parting will be the closer you allow yourselves to become. No matter what you tell yourself I very much doubt this is just a summer fling…for either of you.”

Hisagi was surprised at this attitude from his normally joking and somewhat troublesome commander. His new position had certainly began to temper him to a more serious and focused individual but these bursts of responsible consideration and insight still caught most people off guard. Also, he wondered where he’d gotten his information from, but then again this man was nothing if not crafty. Not to mention his precious Nanao-chan usually knew everything there was to know about everything going on in Soul Society, the markings of a truly perfect fukutaichou for the commander. 

Still not knowing what to say Shuuhei settled for a curt nod showing he’d heard and internalized what his leader said before standing to bow respectfully to him. He made his way from the conference chambers with a heart slightly heavier than when he’d entered it. No matter how much he wanted to ignore the words they were nonetheless true. Lately, Shuuhei had been catching a different look in Orihime’s eyes when she looked at him; a certain glow in her smiles that made them different from the smiles she bestowed upon others. 

Looking up as he exited the building Shuuhei saw clouds gathering, a summer storm brewing. “How fitting,” he grumbled while the sky grew heavy, lightning flashing faintly over the mountains. It would hit full force over the heart of the city in an hour if the wind was anything to go by. 

Hands shoved in his pockets, shoulders slumped forward he slowly walked home, going over and over what the commander had said. The longer he considered it the more he knew it to be true. Though he had only been spending time with her for a month Shuuhei was far too attached to Orihime for his feelings to be merely on a friendship level. He was falling for her, fast and hard, and it was dangerous. She’d stolen his heart without even trying. 

Reaching his quarters he poured himself a saucer of sake and slung it back in one gulp before collapsing on his couch. He’d left the sliding door open, enjoying the scents brought about by the impending rain. The air grew heavier and he could hear louder thunder claps the longer he sat watching the sky. Lightning flashed brightly, thunder booming and the heavens finally opened up flinging down a cascade of rain drops. 

Usually Shuuhei enjoyed the rain, particularly the first storm of summer, but tonight his melancholy inhibited it from imparting its usual serenity upon the troubled captain. He truly did not know what to do. His heart said screw it, spend as much time with her as he could before she left but his head scolded him for his selfish foolishness. Then again, he had no idea what Orihime was thinking or feeling about any of this or if she had even considered the dilemma he was currently facing. 

Deciding I fool hardy to try to project or interpret her position he sent a hell butterfly to her, asking if he would be able to see her at the manor. There was no way he’d ask her to come to him through the intense storm. Ten minutes went by after he’d sent it. Another ten minutes then another ticked by and his mind had moved from worrying over their situation to worrying about her. 

“Where the hell is she?” he thought, knowing she’d long finished work for the day while he had still been in the captain’s meeting. Just as he had resolved to start flitting about the whole of the Seireitei, storm or no storm, to find her she appeared soaked from head to toe in his door way. 

“Orihime?! Geez, what are you doing walking around in this weather? Come in, come in,” he admonished shutting the door behind her despite the outdoors not being cold. 

“Hehe, good evening Shuuhei. I was over visiting my friends at the Eleventh and was heading back when the storm hit. I had hoped to be able to make it to the manor running between the awnings but eventually I ran out of them and was just stuck in the downpour. I hope you don’t mind me coming here, your quarters were the closest shelter I knew of,” she replied twisting her hands and biting her lip. 

Reaching out, he stilled her hands in his, “Of course I don’t mind, I was just worried. I’d sent a hell butterfly to the manor to ask if I could come see you but when I didn’t hear back I wondered where you could be. I was just getting ready to go about looking for you when you arrived.”

“Oh, then this works out perfectly,” she squeaked out with a slight jump. He smirked at her rubbing his thumbs over the tops of her hands. His movements calmed hers and again they found themselves staring at each other. 

Orihime felt herself swallow once then twice, feeling a fidgety nervousness in her belly the longer Shuuhei looked at her the way he was. Her tongue slipped out to wet lips suddenly dry despite her drenched state and his eyes flicked to the movement before moving back to her eyes. 

“Shuuhei?” she asked softly, wondering if what was going on in her mind was going on his in his as well. Apparently not because the moment she spoke his name it was as though the spell broke. He shook his head and let go of her hands, taking a deliberate step backwards. 

“Look at me, a poor host who leaves his guest to stand dripping in the entry way,” he chuckled, trying to bring lightness back to the mood. 

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” Orihime exclaimed distracted away from whatever had or had not just happened between them, “I’ve gotten water and mud all over your beautiful floors!”

“Orihime, I wouldn’t call my floors beautiful. It’s fine. Here, come to the bathroom and wash up. I can give you an extra sleeping yukata so your clothes can dry out.”

While she was in the bathroom Shuuhei ran his hands over his face, sitting back down on the couch, face now cradled in his palms. “What the hell am I doing? I’m supposed to be figuring out how to slow things down with her but then I almost kissed her!” 

The next moment he heard Kazeshini’s voice emanating, “I don’t see what the big deal is, freaking hell man, how have you made it this long without tackling her into your bed?”

“Shut it, I don’t need any input from the likes of you,” Shuuhei retorted sharply. 

“Geez, touchy much? Oh wait, no you’re not because you’re a freaking pansy.”

The shinigami grit his teeth resolving to have a stern “talk” with the troublesome spirit another time. 

The rain was pelting harder now, coming down in sheets of water, warmed by the time it hit the ground. A scent of wet dust and grass permeated the room when Shuuhei opened the doors again to resume enjoying it while it was here. 

“Shuuhei?” he heard Orihime’s inquisitive voice call. 

“Over here,” he remarked and gestured for her to sit next to him. She did so and he flung his arm around her shoulder pulling her close to watch the storm with him. He knew this was not helping his plan to slow things down with her, but he wanted to enjoy the storm for all it was worth and having this girl with him enhanced it that much more. 

He felt her relax into his shoulder, jolting slightly whenever there was a flash of lightning and crack of thunder. But when he tightened his grip she calmed down, jumping less and less as she became accustomed to the beats of the storm. 

“I never liked thunder storms before Shuuhei, but now…with you…well, I don’t think they’re so bad,” she confessed turning her face to look up at him. He stared down at her, meeting her eyes filled with their own storm. 

“Dangerous, stupid, reckless,” were the words echoing in his head but alongside them were the words, “Kiss her soft sweet lips.”

Leaning forward slowly Shuuhei kept his eyes on hers; looking for any indication he should stop. Finding none he continued his progression, the distance short before his lips tentatively touched hers. The contact was exceptionally brief, the slightest peck. Then he felt her shift and suddenly her lips moved up to meet his more fully but remained closed while their eyes stayed open. 

Orihime’s heart was pounding and the longer she stared into those dark grey orbs the more drawn in to him she became. This was the first intimate contact she’d had since being with Ichigo and it was scary, exhilarating, liberating and wonderful all at the same time. 

“Orihime,” he breathed out, voice low in their nearness. 

“Yes?” she asked almost breathless. 

“May I kiss you, I mean, really kiss you?” The question hung for a moment as she considered it. She was not naïve to what he meant; she’d been there and further with Ichigo and had her innocence wrenched from her in Hueco Mundo. Her feelings for Shuuhei had developed rapidly, so much so it unnerved her some times. But she was still so scared, not only of being hurt again but of hurting someone else. 

“I don’t…” she hesitated and he pulled back to give her space to breath, “I…don’t know…I-“ her voice died away as tears filled her eyes. 

Shuuhei frowned, concerned he’d pushed her too far though he knew she had been the one to initiate the second tentative kiss. He unwrapped his arm from around her, giving her more space before placing his hand on her cheek, rubbing away the tears with his thumb as he spoke, “Hey, hey, it’s ok. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Her tears flowed more but instead of pulling further away she flung her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Shuuhei wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, securing her to himself and letting her cry. His heart lurched with each sob that racked her body but he knew she needed this. There was nothing he could say or do to stem the flow so he let her be. 

“Shuu…hei,” she hiccupped pulling back to face him, “I…I’m so…sorry-“ she began but he pulled her back to himself as he lay down and placed her head on his chest, “Orihime, you don’t have to explain and I’m not mad. I’m just worried about you. We’ll get there or not, it’s ok. Shhhhh…just relax and we’ll talk about it another time, ok?” 

She could only nod, thankful for his kindness as he stroked her hair in efforts to calm her. Eventually the tears ended and she fell asleep. Shuuhei didn’t have the heart to move her so he stayed put, finally falling asleep about an hour later, lulled by the rhythm of her breathing and the pattering of the rain.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Suddenly There Was You  
By bleachfanficfanatic

Chapter 6

Rukia and Renji were running from the manor, the petite shinigami ahead of her large red-headed counterpart. “Come on, Renji,” she shouted over the din of the thunder, “She could be hurt!”

“Will you calm down baka?” he yelled back, “She’s probably just with Shuuhei!”

“Who are you calling a baka? If Orihime were planning on staying with him she would have let me know!” Rukia stopped running causing Renji to almost bowl her over. When she turned to face him her eyes flashed as bright as the lightning crashing around them. He put up his hands in defense, trying to get her to calm down before she killed him.

“Rukia,” he said more gently, “just take a minute and breathe. Let’s start at Shuuhei’s place. If she’s not there we’ll wake him up and continue the search.”

Recognizing the reasonableness of his request Rukia closed her eyes heedless of the pounding rain currently soaking their Shihakushos to make herself calm down. Despite all her years of trying to temper her reactions, deep down Rukia was still the same passion-filled, impulsive girl she’d been before becoming a Kuchiki. When under stress that persona came out and her rational thought capabilities faltered under it. Renji didn’t say anything while waiting for her knowing it would be in his best interest to stay quiet.

A moment later his lover’s eyes opened and were clearer than they’d been before they narrowed at him and before he could react she punched him in the stomach.

“What the hell was that for?!”

“For calling me a baka! Now, let’s get over to Shuuhei’s,” she retorted coolly before flash stepping in the direction of the Ninth division captain’s quarters.

Meanwhile, back on Shuuhei’s couch, the shinigami was still fast asleep with Orihime on top of him. A particularly loud clap of thunder roused her from sleep and a loud, “Eep!” escaped her lips as she sprung up off of him. The sound and movement in turn woke Shuuhei from his slumbers but he didn’t move.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry for falling asleep on you! Were you able to breathe? Did I crush your chest?” she rambled flinging her hands about. Shuuhei was still working on coming to full consciousness, unsure of the time or how long they’d laid there in peaceful respite together. Her words finally registered in his brain and he sat up, catching her hands in his.

“Orihime,” he said firmly and when she’d looked him in the eyes he continued, “First, I pulled you onto me, second you don’t weight enough to crush anything.”

She smiled but then her eyes widened again and she whipped her head around again. “What are you looking for,” Shuuhei inquired confused at her renewed panic.

“What time is it?!” she asked frantically.

“I’m not sure-“ he began but she cut him off, “Oh my gosh Rukia is going to be so worried! I didn’t tell her where I’d be because I thought I’d be back before she got home from her date with Renji.” She pulled away quickly from the couch looking for her shoes.

“Orihime, calm down, you can’t go running about in the rain, especially in that,” Shuuhei stated calmly.

Looking down Orihime realized the yukata was white and had she run out into the rain in it she’d have found herself in a very embarrassing situation indeed. As it was the thing barely closed in the front and the combination of sleeping on Shuuhei’s chest plus her hurried movements had caused the V-neck line to deepen. Thankfully she’d had the presence of mind to put her bra back on before she’s gotten dressed in it and thus her breasts hadn’t spilled out. She was facing away from him so she was able to adjust before he saw anything.

Once as properly attired as possible she turned back to him only to jump as voices sounded form the door, “There you are! Gosh we were so worried!”

“We? I’m the one who told you she’d be here in the first-ow!” Renji’s words were cut off by a smack to the head.

Orihime whipped around to find Renji and Rukia standing soaked in threshold, Renji rubbing his smarting head and Rukia grinning at her like the cat that caught the canary.

“Oh Rukia, I’m so, so sorry! I was at the Eleventh then got caught in the storm and so I came here to wait it out but then we fell asleep on the couch and-“

“Orihime,” Rukia interjected firmly but kindly a slight smirk on her face, “It’s ok, I can see you were in capable hands.”

The healer blushed furiously and Hisagi coughed in his discomfort of the insinuation.

“Rukia, we…it’s not like,” Orihime struggled for words, the look on her face making Rukia regret the choice of hers. Stepping forward she grabbed one of her friend’s hands in both of her smaller ones.

“Hey, silly girl, I was joking. I know nothing happened. Shuuhei’s a gentleman and you…well…you’re you. You don’t act like that and I’m sorry for making you think I actually believed that.”

Her heartfelt apology sent Orihime into her arms, tears flowing again. She hated that she cried so much, but she’d been jostled from an unpleasant dream and with her confused feelings and nearness to Shuuhei she was a jumble of nerves.

Renji watched the scene in front of him with a frown on his face. He’d seen Orihime emotional of course but this seemed out of place for the situation. Stepping forward he leaned down and tilted her chin up from Rukia’s shoulder to look into her eyes, “Darlin’ what’s going on?”

Orihime gulped, taking in a shaky breath. “I…I had the dream again…and it… Can you…can you please take us home?” she stammered out. Rukia continued to hold her, the conversation between her love and her friend taking place over her head. Shuuhei said nothing, merely stood by, frustrated that he could do nothing to help her and, if he were honest with himself, irritated that she wouldn’t confide in him.

“Then again, I’m trying to slow things down which means it’s probably a good thing she hasn’t said anything about what’s truly bothering her yet,” he thought miserably. Just because it was true didn’t mean he had to like it.

Renji sighed, eyes closing momentarily in his frustration for the girl in front of him before he nodded.

“Come on,” he remarked turning around in silent direction for her to climb on his back.

“Oh, my clothes!” she exclaimed just before she climbed on.

“Don’t worry about them; you’ll be shielded by Renji and home to change before you know it. I’ll have them cleaned and sent over to you,” Shuuhei offered. Orihime didn’t have the heart or energy to argue the point so she merely nodded and jumped onto Renji’s back.

“You want a ride too?” he smirked down to his girlfriend. Despite her hard exterior Rukia did really love being tucked safely into his strong arms. She nodded and he picked her up.

Turning to face Shuuhei he said, “Thanks for looking after her. We’ll see you later taichou.”

“Yeah, see you later,” he replied trying to keep his voice even. He could see the remorseful look on Orihime’s face, her eyes filled with apology for not letting him know what was going on with her. They were gone a second later, leaving him to his own thoughts.

Moving to his bedroom he flung himself upon the futon, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips when he realized he’d not had the conversation he’d wanted to with Orihime. True, they’d snuggled up together and had two, albeit small kisses, so he was fairly sure she shared some of the deeper feelings for him that he felt for her.

“Is this what they mean by the term “lovesick”?” he wondered aloud to the dark.

Lighting flashed and thunder cracked in reply. Sighing again he turned to his side considering what he should do. It was very apparent that whatever happened between Orihime and Ichigo had left her slightly broken. Clenching his fist he found himself pissed that someone who wasn’t even there could become a barrier between him and the girl he’d grown to care for so deeply. He knew he had to distance himself from her since progressing down this road would only end in further heartache for both of them. He hated what he had to do but couldn’t see any alternative. Rolling over he tried to get some sleep dreading what the morning would bring.

The next day dawned still grey but the rain had abated for the time being. He had planned on sending Orihime’s clothes out to be cleaned but not wanting to cause unnecessary gossip decided to clean and return them himself. He accomplished their cleaning early in the morning and left them to dry while he saw to his duties. Returning to his quarters at lunch time he sent a message to Orihime asking her to meet him there. What he was going to do was not something he wanted to have happen in public.

He smiled softly as she entered after he bid her do so when she’d knocked tentatively at the door. She came in with a look of apprehension on her face. They had parted on an awkward note the previous evening and she was nervous. Closing the door she stepped further into the room, hands grasped in front of her and head down as she waited.

Taking a deep breath Shuuhei began talking, “I have your clothing, they are in the bag by the door so don’t forget them when you leave.” He was keeping distance between them, not trusting himself to go through with his planned speech if he allowed himself to touch her at all.

“Thank you Shuuhei,” she uttered softly still not meeting his eyes.

“Orihime, please look at me,” he requested and she acquiesced slowly. “Listen, last night…last night was a mistake,” he began and saw her eyes widen before scrunching down in efforts to stop her tears. Shuuhei hated himself in this moment but he was doing what needed to be done for both their sakes.

“Don’t misunderstand me Orihime, I say it was a mistake because I never should have put you in that position. I shouldn’t have kissed you. To be honest, I had sent that request to see you because I’d wanted to talk to you but I let my emotions and atmosphere of the moment get to me.”

“So, you didn’t…I mean…you hadn’t wanted…” she spoke in broken words, unable to adequately ask her question.

“No! I wanted to kiss you, very badly, which was why I asked you what I did. It’s just that-“ he stopped with a sigh and ran his hands through his hair, the efforts to stay away from her becoming physically painful.

Steeling himself he decided he needed to just spit it out, “Orihime, the past month has been amazing. I’ve been so glad to have something else to motivate me to get out of bed other than a sense of duty and responsibility.” He saw the astonished look on her face but pushed forward, “However, I realize that continuing as we are will only result in pain for both of us. I’m may be presumptuous here but I’m willing to guess you have some sort of feelings for me, right?”

She nodded, unable to speak, thoroughly stunned by what this wonderful, romantic, caring man was saying to her.

He nodded back, hands moving to his hips before he continued. “Well, if you couldn’t tell already by what I have said, I have feelings for you too.”

This earned him a watery smile which he clung to before making his mouth form words that were tearing his gut apart, “And that’s the problem. I’m a soul, you’re human. No matter how much we care for each other and want to see where…this,” he gestured between them, “goes we simply can’t. It’s not reasonable. Also, and forgive me for bringing up something painful to you, I think…no, I know you have some unresolved issues involving Ichigo. So, I think it would be best if we didn’t see each other as much as we have been. I won’t lie and say I’m satisfied with how things need to be but I can’t cut you out of my life completely. Are you willing to remain friends?”

Orihime felt her chest tighten as she took in his words said with such sincerity. In one statement he’d confessed his feelings for her while pushing her away and he did it with the intension of trying to spare her further pain. He’d failed in his attempt, of course, because her heart burned with it but she understood where he was coming from. She also knew he was right about Ichigo.

“Shuuhei, please believe me, it was not my intention to use you to get over him-“ she began but he cut her off, “Orihime, I never thought that. Not once. Just for your sake and whomever you do end up with in the future I hope you take the time to resolve the problem with him. You deserve to be happy.”

She nodded, tears streaming down her face as she stepped forward to hug him. He hadn’t wanted to touch her but knew she needed this physical confirmation that he still cared about her.

Pulling back she gave his hands a squeeze before turning to grab the bag containing her clothing. Just as she reached the door she placed a hand on the threshold and turned her head over her shoulder to look at him, “Shuuhei, do you…do you mind if I keep the yukata?” He smiled and replied, “It’s all yours.”

She nodded thanks, took another step out and then shut the door. Once she had left Shuuhei entered his kitchen and took a shot of sake. Shaking his head he returned to his office. There was work to be done and he would throw himself into it completely.

The days continued to crawl by, feeling emptier than before but he determinedly stayed away from the places he knew Orihime would be. If they were going to just be friends he had to put some distance between them before he could be around her. He couldn’t believe he was this affected after only a month of dating the woman but he was and so he stayed away. Occasionally she would stop by and while not being outright rude or cold he would remain slightly aloof. Slowly her already sparse visits lessened until she no longer came to see him.

A few weeks following Shuuhei ending things with Orihime, Renji noticed the girl’s demeanor change and the suspicious absence of a certain tattooed captain. Something had happened despite Orihime’s insistence it was just them being busy. The red headed lieutenant knew she was lying and finally cornered her at the manor with Rukia.

“Orihime,” Rukia began softly, “Please talk to us. What happened with Shuuhei? Did he hurt you? Did you have a fight?”

The copper haired girl sighed, tears brimming at the edges of her eyes, a shaky reply coming out, “No Rukia, he…he’s been nothing but wonderful to me. I just…I didn’t say anything because I was kind of hoping he’d change his mind but I guess not.”

“Change his mind about what?” Rukia asked frowning.

“He ended things between us. I mean, it’s not like we had made anything official to end but it seemed like it was headed that way and so before it did he stopped it.”

Renji saw red, “What the hell is wrong with him! I have half a mind to go beat his ass right now!”

“No Renji! It’s not like that at all. He even confessed that he has feelings for me. But because he’s a soul and I’m a human it wouldn’t work out long term. Plus, he pointed out I do still have some hangs ups about Ichigo, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself I didn’t. A relationship starting with that wouldn’t be fair, especially to him.”

“Wait, does that mean you wanted to start a relationship with him?” Rukia asked with a sad smile on her face.

Orihime took a deep breath, “Honestly? I’m not sure. I like him a lot and we always have fun together. He has so many good qualities and I did enjoy our two brief kisses but…there’s a huge part of my heart that hasn’t let go of Ichigo, regardless of what he said and did.”

Rukia pursed her lips together before replying, “Orihime, when are you going to stop torturing yourself over that dense boy? Oh sure, you’re both almost twenty now but really, he’s acting like a child.”

“You don’t understand-“ Orihime started but it was Renji who interrupted her vehemently, “NO! Orihime, it’s you who doesn’t understand! You sacrificed so much for him and he just walked away! And for what, because he couldn’t handle what was necessary to be done?! Rukia is right, he’s acting like a spoiled child and if I were able to I’d go beat him black and blue until he sees how wrong he is!”

Orihime’s eyes were wide, surprised at the indignation her friend felt on her behalf, though she realized she shouldn’t really be. Renji was a fiercely protective of the people he cared about and she counted herself lucky to be one of them. It hurt her to know the situation with Ichigo had caused the two people before her to have to lose contact with him but she was nonetheless grateful for their friendship and support.

Taking a deep breath to try to calm down Renji closed his eyes and continued, “Orihime, he doesn’t deserve you. A man who could look at you and everything you are, inside and out, and think you weren’t worth everything to keep is no man I want to see you with.”

Orihime sat stunned; she’d never heard Renji speak like this much less about her. All of her friends were so angry with Ichigo over what he’d done but she never let the anger consume her. She was terrified that if she did it would never leave so instead she continued to try to convince herself that what happened was for the best even if it wasn’t.

“Renji, thank you, but he gave so much for me too! He died for me! It was my fault that he had to do what he did.”

“Bullshit!” Renji’s exclamation made Orihime jump, “None of what happened is your fault! If Ichigo wasn’t taking the necessary precautions that’s on him not you!”

The friends were silent for a moment, their hearts rapidly beating in the charged emotional atmosphere of the room. Finally Orihime said softly, “Regardless of where blame lies between Ichigo and I, Shuuhei is right. Even if I had dealt with all my baggage before starting to date him we wouldn’t have been able to deepen the relationship. He can’t stay with me in the living world and I can’t live here.”

Rukia inhaled deeply, trying to figure out how to best say what she wanted to. Finally she opened her mouth, “Orihime, I know it’s only been a month since you and Shuuhei started seeing each other but in that time I have seen so much of your old self come out. You laugh and smile more, you say the silly things you used to with no care of what anyone thinks and you’re sleeping through most nights. Please, even if it will be difficult or unconventional don’t walk away from something that has potential to bring you happiness.”

“But Rukia, how is it fair to…to use Shuuhei as a means to get over Ichigo?”

“Are you doing that? Do you truly believe you would have continued spending the time you did with him if all it was for was to get over Ichigo?”

Orihime paused, unsure of how to answer at first. The shinigami waited in silence for her to speak. Finally she answered, “I don’t think so. I mean, there are times that memories of Ichigo will spring up and catch me off guard. I could see Shuuhei noticed it but he never said anything. I just… I want to still see him, I really do and not just as friends.”

“Then go tell him that. Tell him everything that happened, getting it out in the open will help you heal and help him know where you’re coming from. There’s only so much he can do or say without enough information. If you’re serious about pursuing a relationship with him then he deserves to know the whole story,” Rukia replied.

“But isn’t it bad to talk about past relationships with someone you want to start a new one with?” Orihime asked bewildered.

Rukia chuckled, “No Orihime, with something this big he needs to know the details. Shuuhei will understand why it’s taking you so long to move on. If he doesn’t then he’s not meant for you either. But you’ll never know unless you talk to him.”

Orihime took a moment to digest what her friends were encouraging and knew they were right. Pumping her fist in a familiar motion of determination Orihime exclaimed, “Well, what am I waiting for? I’m going to go see him right now!”

 

Author’s note: Please don’t kill me, I know everyone wants to know what the deuce happened between Orihime and Ichigo and I promise it’s coming. I would have put it in this chapter but then it would probably be too long. Also, I hope Renji wasn’t too OOC but I feel like after everything he went through because of staying silent he would be more vocal about his opinion, especially to someone like Orihime.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

**Author’s Note: I’ve been writing and re-writing what happened between Orihime and Ichigo because darn it if it isn’t extremely hard for me to write Ichigo as a jerk. Oblivious, self-loathing, and hesitant, sure! But past that it’s hard for me because he’s such a noble character! That being said I really hope he doesn’t come across as too OOC here. Also, this chapter is LONG because there is a lot of history to convey. I probably should have pieced it out over multiple chapters but it made more sense to me to be in one long shot. Also, I’m taking creative license with the final battle of Yhwach. Orihime’s story will be in _italicized_ font to indicate it as a memory so I hope the text is not too brutal on the eyes. Additionally, anything that happened for which Orihime was not present will be presumed to have been told to her by those who were. **

**Suddenly There Was You**

By bleachfanficfanatic

**Chapter 7**

 

It was early evening by the time Orihime had finished her conversation with Renji and Rukia. Renji offered to take her to Shuuhei’s but she said the walk would help her put her thoughts in order. He smiled and gave her a big hug whispering in her ear, “Good luck darlin’” before kissing the top of her head and going back into Rukia.

 

Twenty minutes later she was standing before his door, shaking a little from nervous energy and slight fear of exposing so much of her heart to him, but she couldn’t help thinking he would be worth it. Squaring her shoulders she knocked and a moment later he opened the door, eyes widening slightly upon seeing her.

 

“Orihime,” he muttered his stomach dropping at the sight of her. The time apart had done nothing to quell his feelings and he was momentarily stunned.

 

“Good evening Shuuhei…um…can I speak to you?” she asked smiling softly but he could see her eyes were troubled.

 

“Sure, come in,” he replied stepping back to allow her entry. Thanking him she moved forward into the living room, taking a seat on the couch.

 

Shuuhei took a deep breath before shutting the door and joining her.

 

“So, what’s up?” His eyes were on her face, trying to determine what could possibly have brought her to him. Orihime turned to face him more fully and took his hands in hers. The contact caused his body to heat up instantly and he struggled to not pull away. Couldn’t she see how difficult this was for him?

 

“Shuuhei, I owe you an apology. You’ve been nothing but wonderful and honest with me and I’ve been holding back,” she began. Before he could protest she continued, “I understand why you said what you did but I…I can’t just be friends with you.”

 

His heart felt crushed until she said her next words, “I care about you too much for that. I kept fighting against my strong emotions for you because I’m scared. I almost allowed myself to hide them away because of that fear. Well, not anymore, I want to be with you, regardless of how difficult it will be. But you need to know what happened between Ichigo and I.”

 

Shuuhei was stunned to silence at her confession so he merely nodded for her to continue. Taking another deep breath she spoke, “This is somewhat of a long story, so bear with me.” He nodded again and she told him about the years she had pined for Ichigo but never told him. “That changed before the final battle against Yhwach…”

 

 

_Orihime had just finished healing Ichigo in preparation for the final show down with Yhwach and all their friends were formulating the next phase of their plan. Steeling her nerves and really feeling she had nothing left to lose Orihime grabbed his shoulder making him look at her._

_“Kurosaki-kun,” she began knowing she had to speak quickly both for time’s sake and for her nerves, “I hate to do this now but if I don’t I’ll regret it, even if I were to die.”_

_“You’re not going to die Inoue, I’m going to make sure of it,” he countered boldly giving her his familiar smirk. It warmed her heart but still she went on._

_“Ok, well, then consider this for good luck,” she replied and put her arms around his neck. Their friends all saw what was happening and stood by in silent support. Ichigo was momentarily stunned but then stabbed Zangetsu into the ground so he could wrap his arms around her waist tightly. She inhaled sharply at the contact and breathed in the scent of the man she loved._

_Putting her mouth near his ear she whispered, “Kurosaki Ichigo, I love you. I know you can’t return my feelings now or maybe ever but I couldn’t let you go into this battle without letting you know that someone loves you as much as I do.”_

_Ichigo’s eyes were wide as he took in her confession and when he pulled back he looked into hers seeing the truth of her words and feelings for the first time. It almost overwhelmed him. Then he smiled a true smile down at her._

_Leaning forward he put his forehead against hers, “Inoue Orihime, I promise to come back to you.” Tears were flowing down her cheeks now as she nodded before relinquishing her hold on him. He grabbed Zangetsu, slinging him over his shoulder before yelling to his comrades, “Oi! Renji, Ishida, Chad! Let’s go!”_

_As the four men ran into the portal Renji said, “Hey baka, why didn’t you kiss her?”_

_Ichigo smirked, “It gives me just that much incentive to survive this.”_

_The three others returned the look and all redoubled their efforts to get to their final destination._

_The battle was long, hard and gruesome but with his promise to Orihime echoing in his mind and heart Ichigo found the power to deliver the final blow destroying their most formidable enemy. Breathing heavily at the end of it all he collapsed but had a smile on his face._

_“Come on man, let’s get you back to your lady,” Renji spoke gruffly, his arms bleeding profusely._

_Chad stepped forward and slung Ichigo over his shoulder. Turning the three comrades ran back through the portal to their waiting friends and family. Upon their exit a triumphant cheer resounded throughout the Seireitei. Orihime rushed forward from the crowd and descended her healing dome over the four of them together. Once they were all healed Ichigo stepped forward, heedless of their audience._

_“Orihime,” he breathed out before descending his lips to hers kissing her passionately. The healer was stunned at first but the longer he kissed her the more she relaxed in his arms and returned the kiss. They broke apart amongst the roar of the crowd, smiling at each other._

_While everything had returned to relative normality Ichigo continued intense training, always striving to get better “just in case”. If his nakama thought he trained hard before, this was something beyond that. It practically consumed all his free time. Most evenings Orihime found herself doing homework at the shop while Ichigo trained just so she could be near him. It wasn’t that they didn’t appreciate his dedication but everyone was getting worried although no one could exactly put a reason as to why._

_“Kurosaki-san,” Kisuke commented to him one evening after a long training session, “Are you feeling ok?”_

_“Of course, I’ve never felt better, why?” he answered quickly._

_The older man sighed, “Well, I’m concerned because your excessive amount of training is resulting in you building up even more spiritual pressure than you have in the past.”_

_“Isn’t that a good thing? It means I’m improving right?” Ichigo asked confused._

_“On the one hand yes,” consented the shop keeper cautiously, “But on the other because you are not adequately controlling it you run the risk of attracting more and larger hollows; perhaps even stronger opponents.”_

_“Tch, it’s nothing I can’t handle,” he replied with a cocky grin, slinging Zangetsu over his shoulder._

_“Nevertheless, I could provide you with some power limiters just to be safe-“_

_“I said I can handle it! Look, I’m working on my suppression skills, it’s just taking a while,” Ichigo cut him off annoyed._

_“That isn’t the only issue,” Kisuke continued unfazed by his former pupil’s attitude, “Keep in mind that the stronger you become the strong your hollow becomes.”_

_“I know, but you don’t need to worry about him. We’re working on an…agreement of sorts. It’s still in the works.”_

_Kisuke raised his hat so his widened eyes were visible, “Kurosaki-san, are you insane? You above all people should know not to trust him. Once he finds a significant weakness it will be exploited and who knows what will happen should he take over with you at the power level you are now?”_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes, “Come off it, Hat and Clogs, I’ve lived with the bastard in my head long enough to know how to keep a leash on him. Plus I’m reducing my weaknesses every day.”_

_“Are you really so foolish as to believe all of your weaknesses are internal? What of your friends, your family, your comrades…Inoue-san?”_

_Ichigo frowned hard, “I told you, we’re working on an agreement and part of the conditions are all those people are to be protected whether by me or by him.”_

_Kisuke stepped up to him placing a hand on his shoulder, “I know why you are doing what you’re doing, but please you must be more cautious. Yes, you are strong, but you have always been your own worst enemy Kurosaki-san, and that hollow is proof of that. Reconsider the use of suppressors before it’s too late.” With that he turned and walked away._

_Ichigo watched his retreating figure before he leapt up out of the underground and shunpo’d home. Stepping back into his body left on his bed he heaved a sigh of frustration._

_The next morning he woke to the smell of breakfast cooking and stretched. A sharp pain slammed into the back of his eyes and he grunted, “What the fuck?”_

_“ **King** ,” growled out the voice of his hollow, “ **I think it’s high time you have a discussion about our agreement with the Queen NOW!”**_

_“I already told you she’s not ever going to be part of any deal or agreement. Figure out something else you want,” responded Ichigo still clutching his eyes._

_“ **Tough shit King! Those are my terms otherwise get ready to have a REAL fight on your hands and just like that crazy bastard at the shop said, you getting stronger means I’M getting stronger. Besides, we’re practically the same person anyway, what the hell difference is it going to make to her?”**_

_“Of course it makes a difference! Now, back the fuck off before I come in there and hand your ass to you!”_

_“ **You’re going to regret this decision King. And to think the three of us could have had such a great life together** ,” he chuckled darkly before receding back. _

_Ichigo shook his head and stumbled out of bed to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face before hastily changing from his pajamas into a t-shirt and jeans to head over to Orihime’s. They’d begun dating after the battle against Yhwach and even six months later Ichigo was still adjusting to the change in their relationship._

_He knew she loved him, she’d told him that fateful date of the biggest fight of his life and she told him from time to time but not a lot because she knew he was uncomfortable with not yet being able to return the words to her. But she showed her love so clearly it made him feel like the luckiest bastard in the world. Most of the time he felt like he didn’t deserve her; sometimes he knew he didn’t._

_She opened the door to his knock wearing a pretty baby blue dress, her hair flowing down her back almost touching her waist. Orihime smiled brightly upon seeing her boyfriend at the door but a moment later she frowned slightly. He looked upset._

_Without a word he surged forward and grasped her face in his hands staring into her grey eyes which were so bright they almost looked silver. Reaching up she clutched the hands holding her face, “Ichi, what’s wrong?”_

_“I…I just…” and unable to get the words out he settled for kissing her long and deep._

_“Do you trust me,” he murmured when their lips had parted but they still held their faces inches from each other. He saw her eyes widened in surprise at the question before she smiled so sweetly at him it made his heart crack._

_“Of course I do Ichigo, where is this coming from? You can talk to me,” she answered._

_“I just needed to hear it, lately it seems like everyone is second guessing me wanting to become stronger. Don’t they understand why?” he replied in a frustrated tone._

_She closed her eyes briefly before opening them as she swallowed, “Ichi, they’re just worried, I mean you’re already as strong as you need to be. I doubt there is anything that you couldn’t do or any foe you couldn’t defeat now. So, maybe it’s a good idea to let up on the training, at least not every day? I miss you, you know…” she trailed off as she leaned up and kissed his neck softly._

_He felt his pulse quickening at her attentions but the next moment he felt his hollow surge forward and in a panic he pushed Orihime away from him harder than he meant to. With a squeak of surprise she tumbled backwards and banged the coffee table._

_Looking up as she rubbed her injury she thought she saw black receding from his eyes but before she could be sure he tore out of her apartment almost bowling over Ishida who’d been coming to see Orihime. The Quincy stood by in shock watching the shinigami run before turning his attention to the girl left in the apartment._

_“Inoue-san, what happened?” he asked in a concerned tone. The girl ran to him, flinging her arms around his neck and crying._

_Ichigo didn’t stop running until he’d made it to the cemetery and bent over heaving heavy breaths. Inside his head he could hear his hollow cackling and taunting him, “ **Nicely done King! And to think you were worried about ME hurting her!”**_

_“Shut the fuck up!” he yelled clenching his head._

_“ **Still unwilling to negotiate King? Remember, share her willingly and I’ll play nice. Deny me what I want and I’ll take her and destroy everything you care about. I’ll give you a couple days to reconsider.**” _

_Ichigo roared out in frustration and anger, his reiatsu pouring out all around him. Before long numerous hollows had entered the area and he found himself engaged in battle, taking out his rage in killing them. So focused on his fight, he failed to notice Ishida had followed him and was watching his every move._

_Later that evening Uyruu entered the shop and as his eyes met those of the keeper’s he found his grim countenance reflected back to him._

_“This is getting out of hand,” the Quincy stated coolly, “I believe it is time for more drastic measures.”_

_The fan faced man nodded, “Shall I call the others?”_

_“Yes, we can’t wait any longer. He attacked Inoue-san today.” The Quincy’s announcement startled the normally emotionally masked man in front of him._

_Kisuke sent an emergency message to Kyouraku Shunsui, Ise Nanao, Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Rukia asking them to come to the living world as soon as possible. They promised to arrive by the following evening._

_After his fight Ichigo had wandered the streets aimlessly thinking over everything. He knew he needed to go apologize to Orihime but what could he tell her? His hollow wanted him to use her as a bargaining chip and he simply wasn’t willing to do that. He felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. Ichigo now realized the consequences of his decision to train as hard as he had but a large part of him was still too stubborn to let it go or ask for help._

_Finally he dragged himself to her door and knocked. He figured she would probably be asleep but he couldn’t let the whole night go by without seeing her. She opened the door, eyes puffy from crying he was sure, and his heart ached that he’d done that to her._

_“Hime, I...I’m so sorry,” he muttered, knowing he was failing to adequately apologize but not knowing what else to say._

_She didn’t say anything but stepped forward to hug him. He clutched her tightly. “It’s ok, Ichi, I forgive you,” she said softly and he gripped her tighter sighing in relief. Pulling back and leaning down he kissed her hard, only able to hope his hollow meant what he said about giving him a couple days “peace”._

_After Ichigo released her lips Orihime said, slightly breathless as a result of the kiss, “Urahara-san asked us to come to the shop tomorrow night. It sounds like there’s something important going on and he wants to meet about it.”_

_Ichigo frowned, what could Hat and Clogs want with both of them?_

_“Did he tell you anything of what it’s about?” he asked._

_Orihime shook her head, “No, I thought it was strange for him to want both of us but he said he did.”_

_“What time do we need to be there?”_

_“He said any time after 7:00 is fine.”_

_“Ok, well, I’m going to head back home. Sorry to wake you-“ he apologized but she cut him off, “I’d be more upset if you hadn’t come back.”_

_He smiled and stroked her cheek, “I’ll come pick you up and we’ll walk there together.”_

_The whole next day Orihime had butterflies of the not so nice variety in her stomach. She felt instinctually that something was going on that they weren’t aware of but then again they usually had that feeling when dealing with Urahara-san._

_At the end of her shift she headed home to have a quick meal. Twenty minutes later Ichigo showed up and they walked to the shop hand in hand._

_“Oi, Hat and Clogs!” shouted Ichigo when they arrived to find no one upstairs._

_“Down here Kurosaki-san!” came the muffled reply from the underground._

_Stepping to the ladder the orange haired couple made their way down. When they’d reached the bottom and turned both hitched their breath when they saw who else was there: Soul Society’s captain commander, his lieutenant and his and Orihime’s two best shinigami friends along with Ishida, Chad and Yoruichi._

_“Good evening Ichigo-kun and Orihime-chan,” greeted Shunshui politely with a bow echoed by his subordinates, “Please, come join us.”_

_Ichigo leaned down before they moved forward, “Hime, did you know they were going to be here?”_

_She flicked her eyes to his and he saw the same look of shock on her face that he was sure was on his. “No Ichi, I would have told you if for no other reason than being happy to see Rukia and Renji! You know I’d tell you if the captain commander were coming here.” Unease filled his gut as they strode forward still hand in hand though their grasp was a little tighter than before._

_Reaching the group the couple stopped but before anyone could say anything Ishida swiftly moved Inoue out of the way and decked Ichigo clean in the jaw sending him flying backwards._

_“What the fuck was that for Ishida?!” he yelled out prepared to launch a counter attack until the Quincy answered coolly, his eyes showing fury, “THAT was for hurting Inoue-san. If you hurt her again I will kill you, do you understand? BOTH of you?”_

_Orihime had her hands over her mouth as she watched Ichigo nod his head. He didn’t know why he was surprised Uyruu had attacked him, more likely he should have been surprised to not have an energy arrow sticking out of him._

_Turning to the rest of the group Ishida bowed, “My apologies you had to see that, but his behavior could not go without repercussions.” He then retook his spot next to Chad._

_Clearing his throat Kisuke stepped forward, “Now that’s done, Kurosaki-san there are some pressing matters we need to discuss with you. I already warned you about your exponential power growth potentially becoming a problem. Well, now we have more evidence that cannot be ignored.”_

_“What do you mean?” Ichigo asked wearily._

_“For one, the amount of hollows that attacked yesterday clearly shows you’ve become an even bigger magnet for trouble that you were previously. Second, I presume your attack on Inoue-san, no matter how “minor”, was a direct result of your hollow exerting control over you. Am I wrong?”_

_Ichigo swallowed but then shook his head, electing to not enlightened them that it was him who’d actually pushed Orihime away because he was afraid what his hollow had planned. Orihime’s eyes widened and though part of her was glad it was the hollow that had caused him to that way she was scared. Was the hollow attacking at random or…did it have something to do with her?_

_There was tension in the room following this revelation until Rukia strode forward and whacked Ichigo on the head yelling, “BAKA! Why didn’t you tell anyone about this?!”_

_“I had it under control,” he yelled back._

_“Control?! You don’t know the meaning of the word! You’ve never been able to properly control your reiatsu output and now look what that’s done! And Urahara says you refused his help with suppressors. What the hell is wrong with you?! What if the hollow had taken full control? Where would Inoue-san be then?” Rukia was shouting, so angry that he’d put so many in danger with his recklessness._

_“I’ve been trying ok? It’s just…most of the time it’s easier to deal with a fight or two than pressing all this down and the suppressors always break,” Ichigo retorted sharply._

_“Please,” Shunsui requested holding his hands up to indicate pause, “Let’s sit down and discuss this rationally.”_

_The others agreed and made their way to a table and chairs which looked oddly conspicuous in the vastness of the underground. As they were making their way to their seats Rukia grabbed Orihime’s arm and tugged her forward a little away from Ichigo. “Are you ok?” she whispered worriedly, her violet eyes filled with concern._

_Orihime smiled sadly, “I’m fine, it wasn’t a big deal. I’m actually surprised Ishida-kun said anything about it to Urahara-san.”_

_“It is a big deal Inoue-san, no matter the situation Ichigo has never been physically violent with you.”_

_“But it wasn’t his fault Kuchiki-san!” Orihime spoke louder than she’d meant to, catching the attention of the other meeting attendants. Ichigo couldn’t help smiling at her fervent defense of him._

_“Hime, it’s ok, come here,” he said and indicated for her to sit next to him. She scampered over and took the offered chair._

_Once everyone was settled the commander indicated for his lieutenant to speak._

_“I’ll get right to the point Kurosaki-san,” Nanao began, “Soul Society can no longer turn a blind eye to your excessive power building. We understand your reasoning, and are thankful for all you have done and are trying to do to continue to protect not only your world but ours.” She paused and Ichigo nodded indicating he was listening._

_“That being said, we have what we hope to be a permanent solution to the issue of your reiatsu surplus. Initially we’d discussed using kido binds or spiritual suppressors similar to what our captains and lieutenants wear when in the world of the living. However, as you yourself pointed out, your power is so great they wear down quickly. While this is not a huge problem it is a nuisance to have to repeatedly create them. It takes time, resources and energy better reserved for seals which will last longer, do you understand?”_

_Again Ichigo nodded and she continued, “After discussions with Urahara-san we believe it possible, with assistance from Hachi should he be willing, to have he and Inoue-san fully reject a portion of your power. In this way it will be disposed of and hopefully, if you are careful to not fill it back up, the deficit will remain empty thereby lowering your spiritual signature to a more appropriate level for you to remain in the living world.”_

_Ichigo frowned, “And if I refuse?”_

_There was another pause before Shunsui spoke this time, “Then we will have no choice but to sequester you to Soul Society.”_

_Orihime gasped loudly at this declaration. In not so many words they would be essentially “killing” Ichigo. She felt Ichigo’s hand clench hers tightly to try to calm her down but she could feel him trembling, most likely with anger. There wasn’t much that scared Ichigo._

_The tension in the room was thick while everyone waited to see what Ichigo would say to this new information. Inside he was fuming but knew there was little chance of getting out of this. Taking a deep breath he met the eyes of the commander, “How long do I have to decide?”_

_“I can give you until tomorrow evening. If you decide to have the rejection done there can be no time wasted in training Orihime-chan to do her part.”_

_“Why involve her? Can’t Hachi just do it?” Ichigo asked sharply._

_Smiling kindly at the healer Shunsui replied, “We need them to work in tandem. Hachi is a good teacher and very powerful but Orihime-chan’s powers are much greater than I think even she’s aware of.” He paused before directing his next question to the healer, “Are you willing to do this?”_

_Orihime answered after a moment’s pause, “If Ichigo wants to go through with it then yes, but I won’t do it against his will.”_

_“Of course not Inoue-san, we would never ask you to do that,” Rukia said shocked. She did not notice the look exchanged between the commander, his lieutenant and Kisuke._

_“Very well, we will take our leave for you to weigh your options. Please stay here, we can’t risk another attack as happened yesterday.”_

_The orange hairs nodded their understanding and everyone left._

_“Oi, Chad,” Ichigo called out and the big man turned, “Can you send my old man and sisters here? I need to talk to them about this.”_

_“Hmm,” grunted the Fullbringer and gave a thumbs up._

_Sighing Ichigo finally let the tension ebb from his body once they were all gone. Looking to his left he found Orihime staring at him with sad eyes._

_“Ichigo, I had no idea this is what they were planning, I’m so sorry,” she murmured. Leaning over he kissed the top of her head, “It’s ok Hime, one way or the other this was going to happen. I’m just pissed they used you at all in it. Hat and Clogs could have come to me directly but as usual he had to be sneaky.”_

_“Do you want me to leave while you talk to your family?” Orihime asked quietly, silently hoping he would say no but fully understanding if he did._

_Shaking his head he said, “No, this decision needs to be made with all of us together.”_

_Despite the reason she felt glad in her heart that he had inadvertently admitted her to being a part of his family._

_A short time later the elder Kurosaki along with the twins had descended into the training area, his father’s boisterous voice carrying across the dirt, “Now then, what is this all about Ichigo? Are you going to finally ask the lovely Hime-chan to marry you?”_  
  


_“What? NO you crazy old man!” Ichigo shot back irritated as both his and Orihime’s cheeks flushed._

_When they’d reached the couple and taken seats at the table Ichigo told them the situation. Isshin listened with a frown on his face but didn’t interrupt once, surprising Ichigo with his stoic demeanor. Yuzu had started crying at the mention of him possibly leaving for Soul Society while Karin sat rigid with her arms crossed, a scowl very similar to Ichigo’s plastered on her face._

_When he’d finished talking no one spoke for a moment. Finally Isshin sighed, “Ichigo, I appreciate you bringing this to us before making a decision but ultimately it’s yours to make. Of course we don’t want you to leave for Soul Society before your time but I know how much your powers are a part of you now. Whatever you decide to do son, we’ll support you.” It was a rare moment of true emotion and respect between father and son._

_“Thanks…dad,” Ichigo murmured. They all sat around talking for a while about the pros and cons of the two options. Orihime was nervous about her abilities but Ichigo assured her he believed in and trusted her._

_“Well my son, have you decided what you’re going to do?” Isshin asked grinning._

_“Yeah,” Ichigo replied scratching the back of his head, “I’m going to have Orihime and Hachi do the rejection.”_

_Orihime eyes widened and as scared as she was with her role she was thrilled Ichigo elected to stay there with them…with her. Hugging him tightly she cried tears of relief and happiness._

_“No time to waste then. Hime-chan would you like me to escort you to the Vizards?” Isshin offered._

_“Forget that old man! I’m not leaving her alone with that pervert!” Ichigo growled._

_“Who? Hachi?” his father asked bewildered._

_“No! That bastard Shinji! He’s always making lewd comments and hitting on her!”_

_Isshin chuckled but consented, “Ok, ok. I’ll stop by there and request Hachi come here to you two.”_

_“Thank you Kurosaki-san!” Orihime chirped._

_“My dear, one of these days I’ll get you to call me papa,” he quipped and before his son could punch him he scrambled away to the ladder yelling for his lovely daughters to follow their daddy._

_Karin rolled her eyes while Yuzu giggled but they did as told, waving goodbye to the orange haired couple._

_A few minutes later the Soul Society group returned and heard Ichigo’s decision._

_“Glad to hear it, I don’t think I could stand having you in Soul Society full time just yet,” Renji quipped slapping him on the back which Ichigo answered with a punch to his shoulder. Before long both men were involved in a brawl away from the rest of the group. Rukia and Orihime laughed at their antics and chatted amiably with each other._

_“Alright, I’ve received word from Hachi that he will help starting first thing tomorrow so let’s all get some sleep. It’s going to be a long couple of days,” Kisuke said descending the ladder. Tessai gathered various cots, blankets and pillows setting them in two spare rooms in the shop._

_As Orihime lay down in her cot next to Ichigo’s she reached out her hand to take his. He grinned lightly at her before both closed their eyes and fell asleep. Deep in the recesses of his mind Ichigo’s hollow was secretly plotting his take over. He knew the King well enough to know he would be the first thing he tried to get rid of and he’d be damned if he let that happen!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo
> 
> Author’s Note: Holy moly guys, another freaking long chapter and we still aren’t to the actual break up! Lots of artistic lenience requested because I have NO IDEA if how Hachi is training Orihime will work. I’ve altered enough of this that it’s almost an AU but hopefully it all makes sense. Also, I'm sorry for the formatting. I originally posted this on Fanfiction.net and you have to put double spaces between paragraphs. It's just too much work to go through all the chapters and take out the extra spaces. So, I hope it's not too annoying. If you want the whole story right now, head over to Fanfiction.net and scope my profile there.

 

**Suddenly There Was You**

By bleachfanficfanatic

 

**Chapter 8**

_The next morning Hachi arrived early and headed to the underground with Orihime to begin their training._

_“Hachi-san, I didn’t even know something like this was possible, are we sure it will even work?” Orihime asked as they settled themselves comfortably on some mats._

_The huge man smiled down at her, “Well, we both know Urahara-san is an inquisitive man. I’m sure he’s been observing you quite a bit these last few years. You’ve only ever tried to reject injuries or damages, but by doing so have proven the ability to shift and change physical material. Since that is so, perhaps you can reject entire beings or energy too; we won’t know until you try.”_

_“But Hachi-san, I’m so scared that I’ll hurt Ichigo, what if…what if something goes wrong?”_

_Placing a massive hand on her shoulder he said kindly, “That is why we are going to practice before you start and I’m going to help you. I know Soul Society is putting pressure on you to do this sooner than later but I won’t allow them to force you until you are ready. So put any idea of failure out of your mind otherwise you won’t be fully focused on what you need to do.”_

_Orihime took a deep breath and nodded her understanding, clearing her mind and waiting for her tutor to begin his lessons._

_“First, we need to see if you can create a sphere using Shuno and Ayame. This way you can focus all your attention on one object instead of trying to split it between two.”_

_The healer looked slightly confused at this but did as instructed, calling out her Soten Kishun. They had heard everything Hachi said and so she did not have to repeat what she needed to try. The sprites focused their attention and though it was slow going the first time were able to form and keep a sphere in place._

_“Good job! Ok, let’s have you work on that for a little while. Try to form it as fast as you can,” Hachi complimented and left her to her task saying he would be back in half an hour. “Take breaks as you feel you need but try to keep going, the faster you can master this the faster we can move to the next lesson.”_

_Orihime kept working the whole time her teacher was gone barely taking any breaks because she wanted to get stronger faster, beginning to understand Ichigo’s drive for training. The better she got the more she wanted to increase her abilities just to see what she could do._

_At the time he designated Hachi returned and had Orihime stand next to him._

_“How are you feeling about containment? Do you want to try moving to the next step?” he asked._

_She nodded, still slightly tired but wanting to move forward if she could._

_“Now, as for as practicing rejecting energy I think we can start with a simple test,” he continued and moving right next to her charged up a very small cero but did not release it. Keeping all his concentration on holding it at bay he spoke again, “Ok, Orihime-chan, slowly put your sphere around this, I will remove my hand when you get close but you’ll have to really concentrate on the strength of the walls so this doesn’t get out.”_

_“Hai, Hachi-sensei,” she whispered and brought forth her spirits again. Quicker than her previous attempts she began to seal around the cero. However once Hachi had to drop his hand to get out of the way it slammed against the wall and shattered the sphere. Orihime sighed in frustration. She really thought she was going to do it on the first time!_

_“That’s a new trick,” she heard from behind her and turned to see Ichigo walking towards them, her face lighting up at his presence. Running over she threw her arms around his neck in a big bear hug. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head, “How’s training going?”_

_“Good, I can make a containment sphere instead of just a dome now but it wasn’t quite strong enough to hold Hachi-sensei’s cero.”_

_“Cero? What the hell are you doing Hachi?”_

_“Calm down Kurosaki-san, I was standing next to her and had the momentum facing forward away from us. She needs to start with something small that won’t kill her. Others I may have taken on a hollow hunt but I figured you would be even more adverse to that.”_

_Ichigo couldn’t argue that point so he nodded, “Yeah, well-“ but before he could continue he felt Orihime’s small hand grasp his larger one. Looking down he saw her beautiful eyes filled with determination, “Don’t worry Ichi, I’m going to get stronger for you for once. I can do this, I know it!”_

_He smiled at her, leaning down to kiss her briefly before straightening back up, “I know you can. Alright, I’ll leave you to it. Hat and Clogs said to come upstairs for lunch in about three hours. You’ll both need a break by then for sure.”_

_“Ok, we’ll see you later,” Orihime chirped happily and went back to Hachi’s side. Ichigo watched her go then turned to head back out of the underground. Truthfully he wanted to keep an eye on her but he knew his presence would just distract or make her nervous plus he could feel his hollow fighting him even stronger to get out and it took all his own concentration to keep him back. He’d let Kisuke put a spiritual inhibitor on him to try to help but it was not really making a difference._

_Three hours later the teacher and pupil joined the rest of the shop gang and Ichigo upstairs very worn but satisfied. Orihime had managed to keep two ceros fully contained for at least two minutes before the sphere shattered under the pressure._

_“Excellent work Inoue-san!” Kisuke exclaimed and his encouragement made her blush brightly. Coming from him this was high praise indeed, considering how he’d viewed her before the war. They had settled that incident but every so often it would creep into Orihime’s mind and she’d have to actively shove it away. She knew the man’s intentions had been good even if his words had been brutal._

_The group sat down to lunch, Ishida having arrived to join them on a break between classes, and discussed a training schedule for Orihime. While they all understood the necessity for haste none wanted her pushed to try what she needed to do before she was ready._

_“The problem is, I can’t just stay here in the shop all the damn time and you do have a life outside of all this, we both do,” Ichigo commented._

_“True, but in the grand scheme of things this has to take precedence,” Urahara replied from behind his fan._

_“What if we have your father write up an excuse for you? Maybe even for both of you as having contracted something contagious and are quarantined until further notice? Your classwork could be delivered by me, I’ll think of some reason to have access to you both, and your jobs would be secured that way too,” suggested Uryuu._

_Ichigo’s eyes widened, the he smirked, “That’s a lot of deception, what happened to your Quincy code of honor?”_

_Ishida glared at him, “I’m upholding it by doing my part to protect the innocent, namely keeping you here until this is over.”_

_The shinigami frowned but figured he was right. It was the best chance they had to do what they needed to without drawing too much attention to their absence._

_“Fine, you and the crazy old man can come up with the details,” he huffed._

_Ishida nodded as he stood to leave but was stopped by Orihime’s hand on his wrist. He looked back down to where she sat at the table still as she said, “Thank you Ishida-kun.” His eyes softened just perceptively and he nodded again before striding away._

_When he returned some hours later everything had been successfully set up. After receiving his work from school Ichigo reached out a hand to the Quincy. After a moment’s hesitation Uryuu took the proffered hand a question in his eyes._

_“Thanks for all you did Ishida,” Ichigo said lowly and then added, “Now and before.”_

_Blue eyes met brown steadily as Ichigo took a deep breath and continued, “And should anything go wrong…with me and this whole thing…please watch over Orihime.”_

_“I already do but you have my word I will continue to do so,” Ishida retorted less sharply than he perhaps would have at any other time._

_As Orihime continued training into the early evening her ability to hold a stronger sphere longer increased. By the time dinner rolled around she could hold the cero and was beginning to break it down._

_She barely made it through her meal before heading to her cot and collapsing, refusing to leave Ichigo’s side to go home no matter how much he admonished her to do so._

_“Chad, take her home and stay there with her,” Ichigo said after they’d finished eating, “She needs as much sleep as she can. Also, do you mind asking Yuzu to pack me a suitcase and bring it back? I have no idea how long I’m going to have to stay here.”_

_Lifting his sleeping friend Chad made his way to the door. He knew Orihime would be upset with him for making her go home but he needed her safe and with how hard his hollow was fighting him every minute of the day and night he knew she wasn’t safe with him._

_Ichigo headed to one of the spare rooms to focus on keeping his hollow under control. The more time that passed as Orihime trained the more he felt him trying to get out. Ichigo had thought about going into his inner world to subdue him but Kisuke pointed out it was too risky._

_The next morning Orihime rolled over and squeaked thinking she was about to fall off the cot but then realized it was decidedly softer than it had been when she fell asleep. Blinking her eyes she looked around and realized she was back home. “Eppp! Did I sleep walk home? Maybe this is a dream! Did I astro-project?” Her exclamation brought Chad in from the living room where he’d been sleeping on the couch._

_“Sado-kun, what are you doing here?”_

_“Ichigo had me bring you home to rest, Chad rumbled, “I think he’s right, you shouldn’t be staying overnight at the shop.”_

_Orihime raised her eyebrows, “Why Sado-kun?”_

_He shook his head, unsure how to explain, “You need sufficient rest to replenish your reiatsu, staying there won’t help.”_

_The woman in front of him frowned but didn’t respond. Getting up she stretched and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Chad busied himself in the kitchen making them some breakfast. She came out, a sad look on her face._

_“Inoue-san, what’s wrong,” Chad asked from where he stood by the stove cooking omelets._

_She shrugged, “Do you think Ichi-kun is mad at me? Is that why he doesn’t want me to stay at the shop with him?”_

_Now Chad frowned and stepped forward, encasing her shoulders in his large hands. “Inoue-san, I’ve known Ichigo a long time. Trust me that when he says he wants you here it’s because he thinks it’s best for you, not because he wants you away from him.”_

_Her eyes were tearing up as she replied in a low tone, “But I still feel safest when I’m with him, regardless of what happened the other day.”_

_“Trust his judgment on this.” She nodded in agreement wiping her eyes dry._

_“Thank you for cooking! It smells great,” she said more cheerily as they made their way to the kitchen. Completing their meal the two friends cleaned up the kitchen together and headed over to the shop._

_A week rolled by and every day Orihime was getting stronger. Hachi had needed to call in Shinji for help to create targets for him and Orihime, much to his joy and Ichigo’s annoyance. Hachi was not ignorant to the fact that Ichigo’s hollow would put up a hell of a fight and it would take a significant amount of power to hold him at bay should he take over Ichigo._

_Rukia stopped by for a status update with Renji in tow but the healer suspected he was there only because they wanted to be together away from prying eyes in Soul Society. She and Ichigo had long been aware of the two shinigamis’ affections for each other but for the time being they couldn’t be together officially until Renji obtained Byakuya’s permission._

_“Hachi, I think I’m ready for the next step,” Orihime said one day after completely disintegrating a cero without cracking her sphere._

_“Of course you are my first love,” Shinji exclaimed grasping her hands, “You are as powerful as you are beautiful. Truly a masterpiece, oh that you were mi-“ his words were cut off by a kick from Ichigo._

_“Ok then, let’s move on,” replied the large Vizard shaking his head the two, “Next we need to have you become familiar with the different elements of Kurosaki-san’s powers. There is, of course, his hollow both in Fullbring and Vizard manifestations, but also his Shinigami and Quincy.” Orihime nodded her understanding, though she was unsure they would determine how to have her identify them._

_“The problem is I know Ichigo’s hollow is aware of everything going on and has no doubt deduced he will be the only one on the hit list. His power is tremendous but because of his volatile nature I think it best for him to be what we focus our attention on rejecting.”_

_The healer nodded but Hachi noticed a look of sadness in her eyes._

_“Orihime-chan, what’s wrong?”_

_Taking a deep breath she shook her head but answered honestly, “It’s just that…I know he’s dangerous and I know he hurt me the other day. But…Ichigo’s hollow is the reason he survived Hueco Mundo. He’s the reason we all lived through the Winter War. It just…feels wrong to kill him.”_

_The big man widened his eyes, truly stunned by the young woman’s heart for what amounted to be a monster. Even though he had a “positive” relationship with his hollow side Hachi could never picture himself feeling as she felt for Ichigo’s hollow._

_Patting her head gently he murmured, “Be that as it may, he is still our best bet to getting Kurosaki-san’s power level down to a manageable level. Plus, he’ll be able to live more at peace without him in his head. Though we’ve taught him to control him better recent events have shown him trying to exert dominance again and we simply cannot allow that to continue. Even were Kurosaki-san to stop training for a while he is still too strong, this must be done.”_

_She nodded again, “I understand Hachi-sensei and I’ll do my best.”_

_“Good, then let’s get started with identifying the power signatures. Though our levels are vastly different Kurosaki-san and I are both Vizards so you can familiarize yourself with mine. I will release my mask now and you encase me, focusing on the resonance of the power.”_

_Orihime called forth her powers and encased Hachi just before he pulled out his mask. Closing her eyes she focused on the feel of his power pulsing within the sphere. It was slightly uncomfortable because of the darkness but through it she could clearly sense Hachi. Sweat on her brow she kept at it until Hachi could no longer hold the mask and dropped it._

_After a brief rest they did it again and again, taking small breaks between sessions, until Orihime had a firm grasp on what the Vizard power signature felt like._

_Next came Fullbring and for that one Chad offered himself as a test subject. He sat quietly as Orihime encased him in her sphere. She was surprised at the ease with which she could tell the difference between the Fullbringer and Vizard. It increased her confidence to be able to avoid those two signatures._

_Following Chad was Ishida and while Orihime was already fairly familiar with how his signature differed from shinigamis she still placed him in the sphere to get a closer look. She smiled as coolness seemed to flow over her skin, almost penetrating to her blood but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was calming despite its obvious intense power._

_Finally she encased Isshin Kurosaki since as Ichigo’s father his shinigami signature would be the closest to what she would be feeling when she did the same with his son. Despite his antics she was able to get a clear picture of what pure shinigami felt like._

_“So, Orihime-chan, since you know all the ones to avoid it leaves to reason once you hit a signature not previously felt that is the one you are seeking: the pure hollow,” Hachi instructed once her signature readings were done._

_Nodding and yawning she stretched, “Hai, Hachi-sensei, though I’m pretty tired. I think it’s going to take me a couple days to regroup enough power to be able to try this.”_

_Chuckling lightly he replied, “Not a problem, you’ve done very, very well and we’re all so proud of you. I’ll be with you the whole time and will be helping with the containment. I wanted you to learn how to do it as a backup.”_

_“And I’ll be placing kido binds on him too, just in case,” Yoruichi put in, “Like Hachi said, the hollow has to know what’s coming and he’s not going to go quietly.”_

_Orihime trembled slightly at the thought of being an enemy of the hollow. Up until now she’d thought herself of non-importance to him but in a few days she would be participating in his demise. The thought still made her sad but she loved Ichigo enough to go through with it._

_The day finally arrived to find a rather large group of people in the underground with Ichigo, Orihime and Isshin. The Soul Society group arrived and this time included Byakuya Kuchiki. The shop regulars were joined by Shinji again to lend his help if it were needed. The rest of the Vizards had wanted to attend as well but in a move of surprising maturity he’d convinced them their presence would just make Orihime more nervous, especially Muguruma. Ishida and Chad were the last to arrive also ready to lend assistance._

_Ichigo walked out to a vacant area of the underground, taking a deep breath. He wasn’t looking forward to this but knew it had to be done. Next to him stood Orihime, her hand reaching for his in silent support. Turning he pulled her to him and kissed her, not caring who saw or commented._

_“Hime,” he whispered, “Just promise me, if something starts to go wrong, get out of here. Let the others handle it, even if they have to kill me.” She frowned and shook her head fiercely but he gripped the base of her neck tighter, “Listen to me, you don’t know-“ but the next moment he grunted in pain and with the last bit of his control pushed her back._

_“Go now!” he shouted clenching his head. Everyone looked up in surprise but Hachi rushed forward shouting “Orihime-chan you have to put your sphere up first!” She did as he directed and a moment later his encased hers. The power emanating from Ichigo was immense and when he finally looked up his eyes were fully black and yellow._

_“Tessai seal the underground!” shouted Kisuke and the shop assistance ran to the door. Flying up the ladder he locked it and put a triple kido barrier on it followed by Rukia who added her own kido lock._

_Back with Ichigo’s body Orihime was trembling both from fear and the effort it was taking to contain him. They hadn’t had Yoruichi bind him yet and with his arms free his hits were taking their toll._

_“ **Come on Queen, let me out! You don’t want to do this, I can see it your eyes!”** he shouted slamming his fists against the wall. Thankfully Ishida had suggested having Ichigo in his shinigami form to give over his weapon. It made him more powerful but also helped Orihime feel what not to focus on. Orihime’s eyes teared up from his words but she held her ground. She had to do this for Ichigo!_

_The hollow kept up his assault on her sphere until it shattered and she collapsed. Renji ran to stand in front of her brandishing Zabimaru while Rukia knelt by the girl passing some of her reiatsu to her through clenched hands._

_Hachi was doing his best to hold the hollow but even his strength gave out. Everyone was in battle position as cracks began to form on the sphere. “I can’t hold it anymore, Yoruichi get ready with the binds!” he shouted a moment before there was a resounding crash and the sphere broke. The hollow was free!_

_“ **Tch, did you fuckers really think I’d let you get rid of me that easily?!”** he shouted and then turned his attention to Orihime. “ **You know Queen, all King had to do was agree to share you with me. And trust me I would have satisfied you much better than he ever did!”** Her cheeks flamed at his words spoken so coarsely in front of her friends but she couldn’t focus on her embarrassment or shock. _

_He continued in the same biting tone, “ **Really, I thought of anyone you’d be on my side even a little bit. But I can see your just as much Soul Society’s bitch as King is! I may be a hollow but it really pisses me off to have to kill you Queeny!”** _

_By now Shunsui, Byakuya, Kisuke, Isshin, Shinji, Chad and Ishida had joined Renji in defending Orihime._

_“You’re not going to get near her asshole,” growled Renji before yelling, “ROAR ZABIMARU!”_

_“Chire,” murmured Byakuya. The hollow roared as Renji’s attack impacted him but before he could make his way to the sword’s owner he was surrounded by the Sixth division captain’s Shikai. The little daggers kept him at bay, roaring out in pain any time he tried to break through the swirling mass of deadly pink.  Orihime had silent tears flowing down her cheeks at the sounds knowing it was Ichigo’s body taking the damage._

_Moving forward Yoruichi prepared herself to flash step and wrap the kido binds around Ichigo. Looking at the stoic captain he nodded once understanding her plan. The next second she blast full force towards the onslaught of bladed blossoms. Right before she reached them Byakuya dropped them and she threw the first kido bind around Ichigo’s arms securing them against his torso._

_Whipping around him at tornado like speed she wound the binding over and over, tying him up before securing the end to a gigantic boulder._

_“Now Orihime!” she shouted and the healer roused herself to her task. She had to be strong! She couldn’t cry anymore! Running forward she once again threw her sphere up, Hachi’s following closely behind._

_The hollow screamed and cursed her but she had to steel herself to be deaf to the vile things coming from the mouth of the man she loved. Closing her eyes she focused her attention on the hollow reiatsu trying to pull it out and then dissipate it. She could feel it moving but the hollow was fighting her at every turn. Her brow began to sweat and she lost her footing, kneeling down due to the energy it was taking to pull. Rukia stepped forward again lending her power as did Nanao and with their help she was able to stand again._

_Things seemed to be turning their way until the hollow locked eyes with Orihime, “ **Time to say goodbye to King, Queen!”** The next moment everyone looked on in horror as Ichigo’s head became as bone and horns grew from to the front as his hair grew in length behind him. With one loud roar his full hollow form appeared pulling apart the bindings as if they were string. He shattered the spheres again and rushed forward. _

_Ishida let fly a volley of arrows, piercing the hollow’s flesh but barely slowly him down as Isshin and Kisuke were there to block him with their zanpakutos. Renji and Byakuya joined them, all pushing and fighting back as hard as they could. Even without his zanpakuto Hollow Ichigo was overpowering them despite the injuries being sustained from their blades._

_Rukia’s eyes were wide with horror watching her brother and love fighting but she stood her ground next to her friend protecting her along with Shinji, Chad and Yoruichi._

_Another roar echoed off the walls of the underground as the Hollow thrust back all opponents. Looking at him now Orihime understood again why he needed to go and pulling all her strength she encased him again, this time by herself. Hachi threw his sphere up for a third time assisted by Shinji giving him some of his power._

_Orihime had silent tears flowing down her cheeks and found it hard to concentrate on the reiatsu signature because the Hollow overpowered everything!_

_“Take it all if you have to Hime-chan,” Isshin murmured next to her ear and she cut her eyes to his face._

_“At this point all I want is my son safe, the Hollow will make us kill him if you can’t take his power,” Ichigo’s father explained._

_Orhime nodded but really didn’t want to be the one to do that to Ichigo, though at this point she didn’t know what choice she had. Redoubling her efforts she pulled harder and harder, extracting and dissipating faster and faster the less control to identify she used._

_From inside Ichigo could feel his power, all of it, leaving and was screaming for them to stop though it came out in hoarse roars through the mouth of his Hollow form. He couldn’t believe they were doing this, that_ **she** was doing this! Surely they could come up with another plan? Or he could keep his powers and go to Soul Society?   
  


_Ichigo had always wondered what he would feel like if he were reverted back to a “normal” human but now that thought terrified him and he desperately wanted to keep what he’d worked so hard to achieve._

_Orihime couldn’t understand why with the amount of power she knew she’d taken the hollow was still so firmly in control. By now Ichigo should have been able to get out! All she knew was she had to keep going until he was released; they could figure out what to do after that. So she kept pulling._

_Drenched in sweat and receiving power from both her dear friends Orihime wasn’t sure how much more she could take when she saw the Hollow mask start to crack. A few seconds later a huge chunk of it fell away. His hair started to recede back to its normal length and with one final pull the mask shattered completely, falling away to reveal Ichigo’s unconscious face. His hollow hole filled in as he collapsed to the ground._

_Isshin rushed forward, picking him up and was startled to find him not breathing._

_Putting him back down on the ground the doctor began mouth to mouth to revive his son. After a few tense moments Ichigo coughed and Isshin turned him so he could get the blood out of his lungs before he lay him back down. He fallen back unconscious but was at least breathing on his own._

_Orihime was a wreck, sobbing and shaking from the whole ordeal in Chad’s arms. Carrying her towards the ladder her motioned for Tessai to follow him to release the kido binds on the door. By the time they reached the top Orihime was almost asleep from pure exhaustion. Chad and Ishida stayed by her side while Isshin and Kisuke got Ichigo upstairs to lay him in the cot next to his girlfriend._

_All they could do was wait until Ichigo woke up to see if they had been successful._

 

 


End file.
